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Sophie Cunningham Gets Real About Caitlin Clark’s Return to Indiana Fever Lineup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 9:05 PM ET

After missing Caitlin Clark for five straight games due to a groin injury, Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever finally got their All-WNBA point guard back.

But, it ended in disappointment as Clark and the Fever fell to Kayla Thornton and the Golden State Valkyries 80-61 on Wednesday afternoon.

Clark showed some rust in her first game since June 24, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, along with five rebounds and six assists. Notably, it was the first time head coach Stephanie White started Aari McDonald alongside Clark in the backcourt.

With the loss, the Fever fall to 5-5 on the 2025 WNBA season with Clark and 5-5 without her, including the Commissioner's Cup championship win. During Clark's latest absence, Indiana was playing some of its best basketball, defeating the first-place Minnesota Lynx by 15 points on the road to lift the Commissioner's Cup trophy. They also topped off a three-game winning streak with a 27-point victory over the Las Vegas Aces.

During Thursday’s practice, Cunningham spoke at the Fever’s media availability. When asked about Indiana (9-10) trying to find consistency, she opened up about the significant adjustments the team is making with Clark back in the lineup.

“I think that everyone saw that we kind of got some flow when Cait was hurt and our offense was clicking," Cunningham said. "Now we have to have a new offense when she’s in there because she just brings that much to the game. And so we have to adjust, and I think all of us just want it now. We know what the potential of this team can be. But we can’t think about that. You really have to take it day to day, and stuff that worked here, we need to carry it over to tomorrow’s game."

Cunningham then revealed her team's frustrations with Wednesday's loss.

"We have a lot of games coming up, and I think like seven days or whatnot," Cunningham added. "And so it’s mentally making sure that we’re good. It’s physically making sure we’re getting recovery, making sure we’re taking care of our bodies off the court. But we're trying to figure it out. I mean, you guys see it, we're all frustrated. We're trying to figure out what's clicking, what's not clicking. ”

The Fever had one day off before their next game on Friday, hosting Brittney Griner and the Atlanta Dream at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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

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