Sophie Cunningham took stock of her first year with the Indiana Fever...

Sophie Cunningham did not finish her first year with the Indiana Fever as she had hoped after suffering an unfortunate MCL injury to her right knee in a game against the Connecticut Sun.

After undergoing surgery in August, following 30 games with the team and averaging 8.6 points, 1.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game, she had to leave the court. However, her overall experience with the team has been positive.

Sophie said it was a season “for the books”

In an interview with Sporting News, the 29-year-old player looked back on her career, recalling that the Phoenix Mercury selected her in the 2019 WNBA draft with the 13th overall pick and that she remained there for six seasons. She was then traded to the Fever, which she described as a “blessing:”

“The people there, all the way from the owners to our locker attendants, they’re just awesome, amazing people who want the best for you, and so I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be around for me,” Cunningham said.

Regarding her teammates, Sophie never stopped praising them and showing her pride, affection, and respect for them, without overlooking the injuries that plagued the team:

“I think when we’re all healthy, you know, we could win championships, and that’s the name of the game-staying healthy,” the 29-year-old point guard said without hesitation. “But I think this season was so fun.”

 

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This season, Indiana not only lost Sophie, but also suffered the loss of Caitlin Clark, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, and Chloe Bibby for the rest of the season.

Even with five fewer players, the team qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive year and reached the semifinals, where they fell to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5.

“I started the ball really well. We caught some rhythm, even though CC was out, and so there’s a lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity this year, but I think it showed our toughness and the love that we actually had in the locker room for each other,” Cunningham reflected, adding, “After I got injured with the season-ending injury, you know, I got to pour into my teammates and be their biggest cheerleader.”

Meanwhile, as she recovers from her injury, she has a difficult decision ahead of her because, once the trade period opens on February 1, she will be a free agent. Only time will tell whether or not she will continue with the Fever.