Sophie Cunningham is feeling the strain from the Indiana Fever’s recent struggles, having lost three out of their last five games. She’s not about to make excuses, even with a challenging schedule of 44 regular season games. The Fever currently sit just outside the playoff picture, lingering near the ninth place in the league.
Interestingly, some veteran players sense a negative atmosphere surrounding the team, suggesting that other teams might be increasingly targeting them. Cunningham emphasizes the need for better unity in response to this pressure.
“I think we’ve been a bit distracted this season,” she remarked after an 85-75 loss to the Sparks. “You could say it’s injuries, but I actually see it as a learning experience. It’s good to face adversity early on. We need to grow from it.”
“The bright side is we’re not falling too far behind,” she continued. “This isn’t an excuse; everyone faces tough schedules. We’ve got another chance tomorrow.”
She added, “We have to maintain discipline, stay focused, be consistent, and support one another.”
In that game against the Sparks, the Fever led by eight points going into the fourth quarter, but the Sparks turned the tide with a 35-17 run in that final frame.
This kind of situation isn’t new for the Fever, having experienced collapses in other games as well, including losing a significant lead against Valkyrie and Ace.
Cunningham, who joined the Fever through an offseason trade, expressed her frustrations about the adjustments needed in the locker room after the recent losses.
Furthermore, the team announced that Caitlin Clark would miss the game against the Sparks due to a left shoulder injury. Clark had only recently returned, participating in five games before this set-back, and the Fever have struggled, going 2-4 in her absence.
The Fever are now awaiting updates on Clark’s condition ahead of their upcoming match against the Wings. If she’s available, it would mark her first showdown against the 2025 No. 1 pick Page Booker in the WNBA.
Rookie of the Year Bueckers commented on the high expectations placed on Clark, describing them as “unfair.”
“The pressure she faces nightly is incredible,” Bueckers noted, highlighting that the scrutiny can be tough if her performance isn’t on a constant upward trajectory. “She’s handling it all remarkably well, tuning out the chatter to focus on playing for herself and her team.”
