Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Admits Viral Bikini Truck Post Was 'Mistake'

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has regrets about a viral post she made under a unique circumstance.
Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half of a WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half of a WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It would seem that Indiana Fever star guard Sophie Cunningham has a lot of time on her hands right now.

This would typically be uncommon for a WNBA player at the beginning of September, given that the regular season is about a week away from concluding. And Cunningham's teammates have a lot on their plates right now, given that they're in the thick of a playoff race that will decide whether they'll make the postseason.

But Cunningham isn't with the team on its current West Coast road trip because she's still on the mend from having knee surgery two Fridays ago, which was the result of her tearing her right knee's MCL during an August 17 game.

So while Cunningham is locked into all of the Fever's road games, she is forced to watch her squad like any other fan would: via the TV.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call from the referee on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call from the referee on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever, 81-80. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Then again, Cunningham's Fever game viewing experience might have been a bit different than most regular spectators in the days after her injury, given that she was on painkillers after her surgery.

Sophie Cunningham Shares Injury-Related Reason for Truck Post Regret

On August 25, Cunningham posted an Instagram photo of herself posing next to a black GMC pickup truck while in a bikini that was captioned, "back when my knee was healthy".

This photo went viral, as it currently has over 145,000 likes and 4.700 comments. It also prompted a hilarious response from Caitlin Clark.

However, during a September 2 episode of Cunningham's Show Me Something podcast, she explained why she regrets making this post.

"While you were on pain meds, is that when you posted the picture of your a** on Instagram?" Cunningham's co-host, West Wilson, asked once the two had talked about Cunningham taking pain pills after her surgery.

"How did you know?" Cunningham responded with a laugh. "Since surgery, last episode, I don't remember what we talked about. I don't remember much at all."

After Wilson noted the number of comments the post had, Cunningham looked down and said, "That was a mistake."

In other words, Cunningham is implying that she was under the influence of pain meds when she decided to make that Instagram post, and that was the reason for her regret in posting it.

At the end of the day, Cunningham deserves to give herself some grace, as she was obviously in need of something to take the edge off after handling the aftermath of an unfortunate injury.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever 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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