Sophie Cunningham Injury Update Makes For Further Fever Season-Ending Blow

When any knee injury occurs, the first fear is always that it's a torn ACL. And while the exact diagnosis of Cunningham's injury wasn't a torn ACL, Indiana did provide a disheartening update on Cunningham through a press release on August 19.

"The Indiana Fever announced today that guard Sophie Cunningham will miss the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season after suffering an injury during the team’s game at the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon. Cunningham sustained a season-ending injury in her right knee during the second quarter of the game and is expected to make a full recovery," the press release wrote.

This injury to Cunningham is the third season-ending injury the Fever have dealt with this season, as point guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson are both missing the rest of this year with a broken foot and a torn ACL, respectively.

What Sophie Cunningham Season-Ending Injury Means for Fever

While it's interesting that the Fever didn't say exactly what sort of injury Cunningham is dealing with, IndyStar reporter Chloe Peterson noted in an X post that Cunningham suffered a torn MCL. While this isn't as significant as an ACL tear, the bottom line is that her season is still done.

There's no doubt that this is a major blow for the Fever on the court, as Cunningham has been a valuable defensive asset and proved an aptitude for making timely three-point shots.

But it might be even bigger of a loss off the court, given how integral Cunningham has clearly been in the Fever's locker room. Not to mention that she has been an enforcer for the team so far this season, and her grit on the court has been a key part in forging the team's identity.

Of course, this is far from the first injury the Fever have had to overcome in what is beginning to feel like a cursed season. Star guard Caitlin Clark has missed a majority of Indiana's games this season and has been sidelined since July 15 with a groin injury, along with the aforementioned injuries to Colson and McDonald.

While Clark's return could be coming over the next week or so, the Fever's hopes of becoming WNBA championship contenders have been dealt a brutal blow without having Cunningham available. It will be interesting to see how the team responds in the coming games.