Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham Out for Season
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has been sidelined for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season due to a right knee injury sustained during a game against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
In the second quarter, Cunningham had to be assisted off the court after Connecticut’s Bria Hartley accidentally landed on her right leg. Initially, she seemed to be in some pain but continued playing for a short period before being evaluated by the team trainer. Eventually, she left the game for further assessment.
The Fever announced on Tuesday that while the specific details of the injury haven’t been disclosed, she is expected to make a full recovery.
Cunningham’s injury occurred as she was stepping up to defend against a play. After Hartley passed to Lexi Hull, she lost her balance and fell onto Cunningham’s foot.
In response to this situation, the Heat made a roster move, signing a player on a seven-day hardship deal and parting ways with guard Kyra Lambert.
Following the injury, Cunningham’s sister, Lindsay, criticized the WNBA referees for not adequately safeguarding the players. She took to social media to voice her frustration, suggesting that the league should prioritize hiring officials who can maintain consistency and protect the athletes on the court.
It seems the Fever have been particularly unlucky with injuries, especially as standout guard Caitlyn Clark is also dealing with a serious illness.
Just recently, on August 8, the Fever had mentioned monitoring Sidney Colson and Ahri MacDonald, both of whom are dealing with significant injuries themselves — Colson with a torn ACL and McDonald with a broken bone in her leg.
This season marks Cunningham’s first with the Fever, and she gained a lot of attention earlier on after defending Clark in a match against the Sun, where an altercation led to her ejection from the game. This incident significantly boosted her presence on social media. With her newfound popularity, Cunningham even launched a podcast alongside reality star and sports reporter West Wilson.
As her contract with the Fever is set to make her a free agent by season’s end, she has been earning $100,000 for the year.
Cunningham played in 30 games this season, starting 13, and averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
