Caitlin Clark Sends Sophie Cunningham 4-Word Message Amid Season-Ending Injury News
Sophie Cunningham quickly became one of the most beloved players on the Indiana Fever after getting traded to them this past offseason. While she certainly makes an impact on the stat sheet, Cunningham's presence is more felt in intangibles, such as her being an enforcer for her team, bringing defensive tenacity and grit, and having infectious positive energy in Indiana's clubhouse.
However, the vibes in the Fever's locker room were not high after Cunningham suffered a knee injury during the team's August 17 game against the Connecticut Sun.
This came after Sun player Bria Hartley crashed into Cunningham's right knee while falling in the first half, which prompted immediate pain for Cunningham that ultimately ended with her heading into the locker room and not returning to the game.
There wasn't an update on Cunningham's injury status until August 19, when the Fever announced via a press release that Cunningham would be missing the rest of the 2025 season because of what happened to her knee during that game.
While the Fever didn't specify what exactly happened to Cunningham's knee in their press release, IndyStar Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson set the record straight by reporting that Cunningham had suffered a torn MCL.
This is much better news compared to if Cunningham had suffered a torn ACL, which likely would have required surgery and a much longer recovery. Still, the bottom line is that the Fever will have to fare without Cunningham for the rest of this year.
Sophie Cunningham suffered an MCL tear in her right knee, league source confirms. Her injury affected the Fever's decision to release Kyra Lambert and sign Shey Peddy, a six-year league veteran.
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) August 19, 2025
The moves didn't have anything to do with CC's status.https://t.co/UYtdk6iAHc
Caitlin Clark Sends Sophie Cunningham Loving Message Amid Injury
Of course, the Fever are already dealing with significant injury woes. Not only are guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson both missing the rest of the season with injuries, but star guard Caitlin Clark has been sidelined since July 15 with a groin issue.
Clark and Cunningham have cultivated a close friendship during Cunningham's lone season with the Fever. And Clark sent her a strong message in the wake of this injury news through an August 19 post to her Instagram story.
"Love you always Soph @sophiecham," Clark wrote in the story post, along with a graphic announcing that Cunningham was out for the remainder of this year.
There is a belief that Clark could be returning to the court before the end of August. However, if she does so, she'll be without one of her prime partners in crime, as Cunningham won't be returning to action until 2026.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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