“I did tear my MCL.” When Sophie Cunningham dropped those words on the latest episode of her podcast, fan resentment toward Bria Hartley for injuring the Fever star was already running high. Since Sunday, fans have been calling for Hartley’s suspension, and now, with Cunningham officially out for the entire season, you’d expect that anger to keep escalating. To cool things down, the Fever guard even stepped in to defend the Sun veteran… but to no avail.
From early-camp injuries and the hard time in coach Stephanie White’s family, to DeWanna Bonner’s departure to Phoenix, the Fever’s season has been nothing short of brutal. Caitlin Clark has played just 13 games, and in the past two weeks alone, the team has lost Aari, Sydney, and now Cunningham for the year. It’s been one blow after another. Yet even in the middle of all that, Cunningham didn’t hesitate to say what’s what when it came to her former teammate at Mercury.
“I’m actually really good friends with Bria, and I had been waiting to get on the pod so we could talk about this. There was no ill intent. I think it was just a basketball play. I was in the wrong spot at the wrong time, and she fell. There’s no way she would ever intentionally try to hurt me. I have nothing but love for Bria. I even told my mom… she would never do that. There are some girls I think might, but Bria isn’t one of them,” Cunningham said.
However, fans aren’t buying her statement.
Fans react to Sophie Cunningham coming in Hartley’s defense
Of course, Fever fans are angry. They just lost a key bench piece who wasn’t only the team’s enforcer but was also producing at a high level — averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game on career-best shooting splits of 46.9% from the field and 43.2% from three. So naturally, when a fan says, “Yeah can’t agree with Sophie on this one,” you understand the frustration behind it.
To help build their case, one even brought up an earlier game against the Chicago Sky. The chaos kicked off in the second quarter when Hartley and Allen got tangled while fighting for a rebound. Neither actually came away with the ball, but Hartley made sure Allen hit the floor anyway, slamming her down just as the play moved upcourt. Allen, in return, reached for Hartley’s jersey in a desperate “if I’m going down, you’re coming with me” move, but came up empty. Hartley then hovered over her, appearing to taunt her, as many say. And then came Atkins, storming into the fray. She shoved Hartley in what looked like instant payback and had to be held back even after the players were separated. That fury? Proof for many of the nerves Hartley can stomp on.
As one fan wrote, “Bria Hartley with another disgusting play!! She’s the dirtiest player in this league!!! ” That night, all three players were ejected. It was actually Hartley’s second ejection of the season — the first came when she picked up two technicals against the Sparks.
Bria Hartley with another disgusting play!! Imo she’s the dirtiest player in this league
!!!
— Michael (@mikeaalen112735) August 19, 2025
Another fan joined in, saying, “We all know what we saw. The league made Sophie have her mom delete that tweet.” Yes, Sophie’s family was really upset with how the whole incident unfolded. While her sister lashed out at the officials, her mom, Paula, had some sharp words for Hartley. “Hartley is a disgruntled player having trouble everywhere she goes; she’s plain mean and plays out of control,” she said in a now-deleted post. While fans suspected the WNBA was behind the deletion, Cunningham later clarified she had asked her mom to remove the post herself.
But was it really Cunningham stepping in because she truly believed Bria wasn’t at fault? Or was it more about protecting herself from another fine? Many fans lean toward the latter. One even wrote, “I’m sorry, I love Sophie, but Bria meant to do it. C is just doing a PR job.” It’s not hard to see why that theory exists. Cunningham has already been fined twice for criticizing officials, and on her latest podcast episode, she admitted that she got fined once again. This time for saying that Paige Bueckers gets a whistle on “every little thing.” So, whether her defense of Hartley came from genuine belief or self-preservation, it’s a question that deserves a closer look.
Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) is injured on a play against Connecticut Sun guard Bria Hartley (14) in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Another fan pointed to what they called clear evidence: a picture showing Bria smiling as Cunningham clutched her knee. “She was literally smiling afterwards…“Now, there’s definitely a photo where it looks like Hartley might be smiling. But there’s no way to confirm if she was smiling at Cunningham’s injury or if it was just an unfortunate snapshot captured at the wrong moment while she was also down on the floor. Yes, Hartley has already built quite the reputation this season, with two ejections under her belt. But suggesting she might have injured Cunningham intentionally based on a single picture? That feels like a bit of a stretch.
But some fans believed Cunningham’s words, suggesting that maybe it’s time to put this whole “Hartley did it on purpose” narrative to rest. No professional player is out there hoping to injure someone. Hartley might be aggressive, but so far, neither of her ejections has resulted in anyone getting injured. Others argued that Sophie Cunningham plays hard, too. Incidents with Jacy Sheldon and Azura Stevens show that she can be aggressive, but being physical and being dirty are two different things. Aggressiveness is part of the game, not an intent to hurt.
One fan pointed out why this whole story is still alive, saying, “Should put the narrative to rest. But people love their drama.” And honestly, who doesn’t? But there’s got to be a limit. Hating on Bria isn’t going to change anything for the Fever. They still have to figure out how to win games without Cunningham.
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