Sophie Cunningham Assigns Blame After Indiana Fever’s Playoff Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 10:35 PM ET

The Indiana Fever came so close to making it to the WNBA finals. Unfortunately, the Las Vegas Aces proved too much to handle, particularly in Game 5 of the semifinals.

Las Vegas eliminated Indiana from the playoffs by beating them 107-98 in their do-or-die showdown on Tuesday. A'ja Wilson and Jackie Young combined for 67 points to help the Aces, while Odyssey Sims led the scoring for the Fever with 27 points and helped the team force overtime.

The Fever were already without Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald and Chloe Bibby in the postseason due to season-ending injuries, so it didn't help them that Kelsey Mitchell suffered an injury during the game and had to be ruled out.

Aliyah Boston also fouled out in the fourth quarter, meaning the Fever were without their two best players during the contest in overtime.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts during a WNBA game.Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Now, speaking about the Fever loss in her "Show Me Something" podcast with West Wilson, Cunningham opened up about the game and expressed her belief that they could have won if not for the referees.

"Honestly, it's so crazy because I think if the whistle would have gone just a couple more plays our way, we would be in the Finals," Cunningham stated. "Like, I'm not even kidding."

When Wilson brought up Boston's exit after committing six fouls, Cunningham proceeded to emphasize that the 23-year-old big shouldn't have been disqualified.

"That was brutal, and two or three of her fouls were just [expletive]," Cunningham added. "And my thing is too, you got to know who's in the game. Awful, awful, awful. And like people come to watch these players. She's an All-Star, you don't foul out an All-Star in the Finals. That's where it just gets me. You don't do that."

The inconsistencies in officiating have been a major talking point throughout the 2025 season, especially in the playoffs where every game matters. Unfortunately, they have not been addressed despite multiple complaints from various teams and individuals.

That being said, the Fever have no other choice but to move on. The good news for Indiana is that the team has proven it can be a contender with the pieces it has right now.

While Indiana has some decisions to make when it comes to its roster, especially with a number of players entering free agency, the future is definitely looking promising for the team after what it has accomplished this past season.

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

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