Sophie Cunningham ‘in good spirits’ despite season-ending knee injury

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Sophie Cunningham is feeling thankful.

Not for her season-ending knee injury. But for the fact that it happened while a part of the Indiana Fever.

The 7-year veteran guard tore her right MCL during the first half of Sunday’s overtime win against the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun. She spoke about her injury for the first time Tuesday on her podcast, Show Me Something.

“I was just in the paint trying to be help side. Someone ran into my knee, and it just snapped. I felt a pop right away,” Cunningham told co-host West Wilson. “If you’re going to hurt your knee, that is the best possible case.”

Cunningham confirmed that she will be having surgery to repair the injured knee.

Despite it all, she continues to be positive — especially when talking about her current team.

“I’m really in good spirits,” Cunningham said. “I’m just like thankful. I know that this isn’t really the time to say this, but I’m just thankful to be where I’m at and be with the organization and the girls that I’m with because they have brought my love of basketball back.”

Cunningham is the third Fever player whose season ended early due to injury. Guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald join Cunningham on that list. Caitlin Clark has also missed 22 games due to three different lower body injuries — although head coach Stephanie White is hopeful the two-time All-Star will be able to return before the end of the regular season.

“I think the league as a whole, but really us, we’ve just gone through so much adversity, and then injury-wise it’s just been… like you can’t this (expletive) up to be honest,” Cunningham told Wilson.

The Fever fan favorite even joked about the ironic timing of these injuries.

“You want to know what’s actually crazy, though? Sydney (Colson) had her birthday. The next day we played, she completely tore her ACL and everything. It was my birthday and then we played the next day and then I hurt my knee. We still have a couple more birthdays on our team, and everyone’s like, ‘Do they play, or do they not play?’ That’s a real question,” Cunningham laughed.

After four days off, the Fever return to the court Friday to host the Minnesota Lynx for the first of two straight games against the No. 1 team in the league. Currently, Indiana sits sixth in the WNBA standings.

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