Stephanie White’s “Holy (expletive),” upon seeing Sophie Cunningham down on Sunday, was soon to become a collective reaction of thousands two days in. The Fever guard’s injury was no easy sight to begin with. The awkward positioning, the shouts in agony, and the limping had all but confirmed that the team had lost its 4th guard. But the worst of it? That came from the analysis. ACL? MCL? or worse, kneecap dislocation? We finally have an answer.
Before Sophie Cunningham’s MRI results were out, Dr. Sutterer had made a few speculations. There were three possibilities: “Now, the primary things that are going to be on my differential here: of course, this can cause something like an ACL tear,” he started. Cameron Brink’s return has reminded us of the long road to recovery. It took her well over a year to suit up again. But that wasn’t the worst on the list. It was Patella dislocations, kneecap dislocations.
Analysing the position, Dr. Sutterer had explained: “This is the position that is going to be most comfortable initially, because they can’t straighten their knee out since that kneecap is translated on the lateral side of the joint.” If that were true, Cunningham had good chances of not seeing a complete recovery. But thank the fates, the Fever guard has suffered neither.
On Tuesday morning, the team announced Sophie Cunningham would be out for the rest of the season without detailing the cause. But Chloe Peterson to rescue. She noted: A league source confirmed to IndyStar that Cunningham suffered an MCL tear.” ESPN’s Alexa Phillipou confirmed that news while writing, “A silver lining of that being that she should be fully recovered by the start of next season.”
Can confirm Sophie Cunningham suffered a MCL tear — a silver lining of that being that she should be fully recovered by the start of next season (@chloepeterson67 first) https://t.co/Phfs4OLaKY
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) August 19, 2025
MCL was the third possibility Dr. Sutterer had speculated, and turns out, it is the least harmful of the three. Damiris Dantas and Natasha Howard have both suffered the injury and we see them suiting up just fine. They took four months and five weeks each. So it might have just been the best case scenario for Cunningham and the Fever fans who wish to see her suit up in the Indiana blue and red again.
“Sophie is a player that we have targeted for a while, and one that we believe is a perfect fit for the style we want to play,” Fever general manager Amber Cox had said, acquiring her in one of the biggest trades this off-season.
And Cunningham herself echoed the same saying, “This is the style that I thrive in. When you have people who can shoot the ball, who move the ball, who are run-and-gunners and share the ball, this is the type of offense that I want to be in.” Her shooting had steadily improved as she adapted to this team, and she helped the Fever offset the loss of Caitlin Clark with her 43.2% rate from downtown. Along with her on-court exploits, she had also earned the love of the Fever fandom with her competitive personality, being the ‘enforcer’ of the squad, and her camaraderie with Clark, along with the rest of the team.
Off the court, she has defended Clark being the face of the league and putting a voice to fans’ opinions that she was being targeted. Considering her growth, she should certainly be a part of Fever’s long-term plans around Clark. But with the CBA negotiations and another expansion draft around the corner, her return to the Fever is still uncertain. While we look at next season, to continue their playoff push this season, this player needs to get her form back.
Lexie Hull needs to get back her mojo with Cunningham out
The Indiana Fever thrive on “multiple shooters” like Cunningham said when she signed. Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and Sophie Cunningham formed a formidable bunch of players who could drive to the rim while shooting at an above-average rate from the outside.
Half of those players are now out injured. Aari McDonald had filled Clark’s role with her acceptable outside shooting, but she was obliged to sit the season out too due to a broken bone. In addition to those injuries, this system needs to be steadied, given Hull’s slump of late.
In her last 10 games, the guard is averaging 5.0 points while shooting 0.9 threes. Considering the way she started, these numbers are pretty underwhelming.
Jun 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half of a WNBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
At one point in time, she was the most accurate three-point shooter in the league while contributing almost double digits per game. She was the find of the season that kept a legend like DeWanna Bonner out of the starting lineup. In this lean patch, barring that Chicago Sky game, she has lost her starting spot. With Cunningham out injured, Hull will likely be back in the lineup. She is giving her all when it comes to defense and is arguably the best defender on the roster, but coach Stephanie White will need her back to her best when it comes to scoring.
“I mean, you know, for us, we believe that every time she shoots it, it’s going to go in,” White had said after the Sky game. “But for her to finally feel that and see that and play with so much confidence, it’s big for us. We need her. She always does the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but when she knocks down shots, we’re a different team.”
Hull had 17 points while on 5-of-9 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals in their first game without a point guard. It seemed she had found a way back, but White benched her again for Odyssey Sims in the Connecticut Sun game. Their fast-paced system needs an outside threat, and the way Kelsey Mitchell is playing, she is likely to be double-teamed for the entire game. That leaves Hull a chance to regain her form and be at her best for the playoffs, assuming they qualify.
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