Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts against the Phoenix Mercury during an WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham Gets Real About Caitlin Clark's Fever Shooting Regression

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 11:24 AM ET

The Indiana Fever are facing the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 of their WNBA Semifinals series on September 23. Indiana produced a relatively easy win on the road against the Aces in Game 1 on Sunday, which means the pressure is on Las Vegas to even the series before it heads to Indianapolis for the next two contests.

What Indiana has accomplished in this postseason is even more staggering considering the injuries they've dealt with. The most notable of these is superstar guard Caitlin Clark (who is out with a groin and an ankle injury, and has dealt with several soft tissue injuries which limited her to 13 games this season) and Sophie Cunningham, who suffered a torn MCL during an August 17 game that required surgery.

It would be fascinating to see what the Fever would look like right now if Clark and Cunningham were healthy and firing on all cylinders. And even when she was healthy enough to play, Clark didn't have the season many expected in terms of offensive production.

Sophie Cunningham Speaks on Caitlin Clark's "Off-Year" Shooting

Clark averaged 16.5 points per game (compared to 19.2 points per game as a rookie), shot 36.7% from the field (41.7% as a rookie), and 27.9% from three-point range (34.4% as a rookie).

There was also a stretch of three games where Clark was 1 of 23 from three-point range, and she was 4 of 21 from behind the arc in her final three games before getting injured. She also made a total of two three-pointers during away games (she played in five total road contests) this year.

Caitlin Clark shooting 1/17 from the 3 point line in the last 2 games pic.twitter.com/mg5uAOuLnI
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) June 22, 2025

Sophie Cunningham was the guest on a September 23 episode of The Young Man and The Three podcast, and addressed Clark's shooting struggles during this 2025 season at one point.

"I know when she was playing, she was coming back from injury too. She had kind of an off-year shooting when she was able to play," Cunningham said of Clark. "And I think that's normal. You're never just always going to be up here [holding her hand above her head], you know what I mean?

"But when [Clark] was locked in, it was so fun to watch her play. Because she was four steps ahead of everyone else," she added.