Sophie Cunningham Runs Into Early Trouble in Recovery After Knee Surgery

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 9:05 AM ET

It has been less than a week since Sophie Cunningham underwent surgery to address a torn MCL in her right knee — an injury that put an end to what was a memorable first season with the Indiana Fever.

The 29-year-old shared a positive update about her road to recovery in Tuesday’s episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast. Cunningham was in good spirits as she expressed how she was “doing great” and had already started her rehabilitation.

Sophie Cunningham Hits Early Snag

Cunningham did reveal, however, that she ran into some early trouble as she began what is expected to be a lengthy recovery process. According to the 6-foot-1 guard, the doctors had to make some adjustments to her pain meds after her surgery.

"I react so weird to pain meds," Cunningham told her co-host on the show, West Wilson. "I've had three surgeries and my meds have always been different. ... I was on [Hydrocodone]. Was not working. I could feel every little cut and incision they did on my knee.

"And so then I got to [Oxycodon], and you're only supposed to take one, but again, I got a (high) tolerance to it, and so I had to take like two and a half, and then I was finally feeling good."

The silver lining here is that the issue was quickly resolved by upping her dose. At this point, it appears that Cunningham will need to rely on the meds until the pain from the surgery subsides significantly.

The former Missouri star did not provide any details on her timeline, but depending on how she responds to her rehab, it’s possible that her recovery extends through the 2026 season.

What Does the Future Hold for Cunningham?

Cunningham parted ways with the Phoenix Mercury during the offseason after spending the first six years of her career with that team. She signed with the Fever as a free agent on a one-year deal worth $100,000.

Indiana has not yet renewed her contract, which means she will be a free agent at the end of this season. However, given how big an impact she’s made for the team both on and off the court, it seems likely that the front office will have an offer on the table soon enough.

Then again, the knee injury could potentially complicate things. From a business standpoint, the Fever will want to get an idea of Cunningham’s timetable — if they don’t already have one — in order to help them decide on what type of contract offer they’ll have for her.

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

More must-reads: