Sophie Cunningham’s year with the Indiana Fever ended earlier than anyone wanted after her knee injury, and the timing couldn’t have been worse. Indiana is already without Caitlin Clark, Chloe Bibby, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson. Still, Cunningham hasn’t let the setback drag her down—or her teammates.
The Fever are set for Game 2 of their first-round series with the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday. Cunningham won’t be suiting up, but her presence hasn’t faded. She’s found ways to keep the locker room loose, even with the season on the line.
“rehab will be the death of me,” Cunningham joked on social media, before throwing her support behind the squad: “go fever girlies tho.”
She’s been there in person too. Just like Clark—also sidelined for the season with a groin injury—Cunningham showed up during Game 1 to back the team.
Clark herself recently gave fans the update they were dreading: she won’t return this season.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season. I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty. This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good,” Clark posted.
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For Indiana, the challenge now is clear: win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to force a winner-take-all Game 3.
“This is my new team”: Sophie Cunningham’s hilarious medical staff comments
Sophie Cunningham, meanwhile, hasn’t stopped poking fun at her own situation. In Atlanta for Game 1, she wasn’t walking in with teammates but alongside the Fever’s medical staff. After spending so much time with them in rehab, she decided to make it official.
“This is my new team, the medical staff,” she quipped.
Even in street clothes, Cunningham keeps the mood light. Her season ends with averages of 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 43.2 percent shooting, but more than numbers, she’s showing her value as a voice and presence off the floor.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
