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Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Reveals Her Physical Condition

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated May 23, 2025 8:51 AM ET

The Indiana Fever improved to 2-1 in the 2025 WNBA season with an 81-76 victory over the Atlanta Dream (1-2) at State Farm Arena on Thursday night.

It was Indiana's second game of the week against Atlanta, following a 91-90 loss at home on Tuesday.

With Caitlin Clark (11 points), Aliyah Boston (four points) and DeWanna Bonner (one point) struggling on Thursday's rematch, the Fever needed big contributions from the bench to get the win over the line against a talented Atlanta team led by Brittney Griner (five points) and Clark's antagonist on the night, Rhyne Howard (24 points).

Newly-acquired guard Sophie Cunningham, playing in her first game of the season, was eager to be the X-factor for Indiana — and she paid the price physically.

Cunningham injured her ankle during the Fever's final preseason game against the Dream on May 10. Despite openly wanting to play , she was listed as day-to-day to start the season and wound up missing Indiana's first two games at home against the Chicago Sky and Atlanta.

In her first action in Thursday's win, Cunningham played 20 minutes off the bench. The Fever outscored the Dream by 10 points while she was on the floor as she racked up nine points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.

defense ➡️ offense

Sophie Cunningham doing it all in her team debut pic.twitter.com/x3UQrkSwaZ
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 23, 2025

When she took to social media after the game, she addressed a humbling moment when she had to ask for a substitution from head coach Stephanie White after just three minutes.

"i ain't never seen a (expletive) take themselves out the game after 3 min," read a message Cunningham received, which she posted via screenshot on her Instagram story.

"ya girl was gassed," she wrote in response, admitting the physical struggle.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophie Cunningham (@sophie_cham)

Though she still may not be at 100 percent, Cunningham showed how her effort and energy can help Indiana play winning basketball in close games — exactly what the front office was looking for when they acquired her from the Phoenix Mercury.

It will be a quick turnaround for the 28-year-old to rest and recover as the Fever host the New York Liberty for a 1 p.m. ET tipoff on Saturday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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