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'I Need A Car. The Dogs Were Barkin': Sophie Cunningham Hilariously Melts Down After Being Left To Roast In Hot Car
Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) runs back up the court during the game against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham had a car breakdown experience recently. True to her humorous nature on social media, Cunningham was able to turn what was supposed to be a stressful situation into a comedy opportunity.

Sophie Cunningham was almost late for the Fever’s recent matchup against the Dallas Wings. She arrived at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse drenched in sweat. As it turned out, her car broke down and she, along with her dogs, got caught in the middle of it.

“I need a car

the dogs were barkin!” she wrote on her post.

The Indiana Fever lost a close home game, 81-80, to the Dallas Wings, falling to 18-15 and sixth place in the WNBA standings. Indiana trailed by double-digits in the fourth quarter but went on a 13-0 run to cut the lead down to one point with 33 seconds remaining.

Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 24 points, Natasha Howard had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and now that moved Dallas to 9-24 in the standings. Maddy Segrist had 22 points, Li Yueru had 20 points, and Paige Bueckers had 16 points and 8 assists, and Dallas utilized 27 points off of Indiana’s 16 turnovers.

Sophie Cunningham Called for Flagrant Foul on Paige Bueckers

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was hit with a flagrant foul early against the Dallas Wings after closing out on Paige Bueckers’ three-point attempt and stepping into the rookie’s landing space, causing Bueckers to come down on Cunningham’s foot.

The game officiating deemed the reckless closeout worthy of a flagrant, a decision that drew scrutiny because the play did not appear intentional and involved no head contact, amplifying frustration in a game the Fever approached with playoff stakes in mind.


Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Following the call, Bueckers received three free throws and Dallas retained possession. This compounded Indiana’s early jitters and heightened the game’s intensity. For fans and analysts, the combination of shots and an extra possession can tilt momentum in a tightly contested matchup.

Cunningham was not ejected due to the call, but any additional flagrant or technical would have triggered ejection, putting the veteran on a tightrope for the remainder of the night.

Tuesday’s decision marked Cunningham’s second flagrant of the season; the first, a flagrant-2 against the Connecticut Sun, led to an immediate ejection after a dust-up that followed a series of hard fouls on Caitlin Clark.

Despite the scrutiny, Sophie Cunningham has been a productive rotation piece for Indiana, averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assist on 48.1% shooting and 43.9% from three entering the Wings game.


Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call from the referee on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever, 81-80.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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