Whenever the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun face off, fans know they’re in for a show, whether it is the good, the bad, or the ugly. And in Sunday’s game, they had a little bit of all three. However, the biggest cliffhanger in the game came during the second quarter when Sophie Cunningham collapsed to the floor, screaming.
Clutching her right knee and screaming in pain, it’s a sight nobody wishes to see. For Fever fans, it felt like deja vu, echoing the season-ending blows of Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson. Seeing a player carried out of the arena by medical staff does not inspire hope. However, fans might have a glimmer of hope.
The eagle-eyed fans of the Indiana Fever were quick to notice one small detail in the postgame talk by Stephanie White with the team. They shared this glimpse on X with the caption, “Best part of the post-game locker room coach talk. A smiling Sophie is standing up. Hope it’s not season-ending.”
Best part of the post game locker room coach talk. A smiling Sophie standing up. Hope it’s not season ending. pic.twitter.com/DcFYU5DKvg
— CCFC- (@sohali2012) August 17, 2025
Other fans on the internet quickly echoed their sentiment. A fan was elated that this detail was out, stating, “Good catch. I pray it’s not as bad as it looked initially. They need her for many reasons.” That is true on so many levels. Currently, Sophie Cunningham is averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1 steal per game. With her 3-point draining playstyle, she opens up the center, allowing players like Mitchell to make easy drives.
Another fan took to the internet to bid a speedy recovery to the Fever player. “I hope so too that she’s not injured for good, plenty of games left,” they wrote. The Fever roster currently has ten games left. And they are make-or-break games for them. They will only qualify for the postseason with a better seed if they win the majority of those games.
One fan shared how she is putting up a brave front for her teammates. “That’s a good sign, but Sophie is a great human, and even if she knew right here that she was done for the season, I believe she would still have that smile for her teammates. She is one of the most positive, selfless humans on Earth,” they wrote. Their words do carry weight. She is at her core a team player. However, her pain on the court momentarily scared her coach.
Sophie Cunningham’s Injury Leads to an Emotional Stephanie White
It is clear how White is so emotional talking to her players in the postgame talk. They just pulled off the largest comeback win in franchise history against the Sun. But the Fever head coach took greater pride in how her players stuck together, especially in a moment of adversity. But when Sophie Cunningham hit the floor in the second quarter, White had a strong one-word reaction showing her panic.
“Especially the way that she fell and how she was holding herself and how much pain she was in, at the time it’s like, ‘c**p,’” said White. The Fever coach quickly unraveled a multitude of thought processes on how to tackle this issue. “And then you go down there, you see her, and it’s like OK, I just want her to calm down and be able to regroup, and then it turns to problem solving, right? How do we put ourselves in a position to win? I think that’s maybe how I survive is going straight to problem solving.”
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
White sang praises for her team for getting themselves out of this situation and then surmounting a historic win. However, all is not sunshine and roses for Sophie Cunningham. The team later confirmed that she will undergo an MRI on Monday, August 18, for her right knee. However, her smiling in the post-game video does instill hope in the hearts of the fans.
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