Sophie Cunningham’s Half-Court Shot Sparks Hope for Fever Opener: 'I'm Ready to Play'

Indiana Fever standout Sophie Cunningham drained a half-court shot in practice, uttering some encouraging words in the process with her status for the season opener against the Chicago Sky in doubt.

May 4, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts during the third quarter against the Brazil National Team at Carver-Haweye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever standout Sophie Cunningham seems determined to strike her name from the injury list for their season opener against the Chicago Sky Saturday. Cunningham, who went down with an ankle injury against the Atlanta Dream in the preseason, has been on a “day-to-day” watch as her healing progresses.

In Friday’s practice though, as the team were hailing half-court shots it was Cunningham who drilled one in with a celebratory, “I told you guys I’m ready to play!” as shared by Chloe Peterson of the IndyStar .

Sophie Cunningham makes the half court shot and goes: “I told you guys I’m ready to play!” pic.twitter.com/u09SQ6DiXK

— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 16, 2025

Cunningham has been taking it easy since her injury, but hasn’t been limping in practice footage and even jokingly interrupted an on-court interview with head coach Stephanie White singing, “Put me in coach, I’m ready to play,” while dribbling behind her. 

Steph White says they’re still taking Sophie Cunningham’s recovery day by day, thinking longterm for a long season.

Sophie interrupted with a rendition of “put me in coach:” pic.twitter.com/jxd1v5SeOJ

— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 15, 2025

There’s been some uncertainty around her status for the Fever’s highly anticipated season opener against the Sky, with fans concerned she might not suit up due to the team's long-term approach. And after the shot, White was steadfast remaining cautious telling media, “The last 48 hours have been really good so the training staff will look at her in the morning and we’ll make the decision from there.” 

Still, that half-court swish has Fever supporters feeling hopeful.

Cunningham was a bright spot during the preseason, especially in the overtime win against the Washington Mystics, where she dropped 21 points and showed exactly why Indiana wanted her on this roster. Her energy, shooting, and toughness have also elevated her as a fan-favorite, with many looking forward to seeing her in the lineup Saturday.

Sophie Cunningham came off the bench and went off in her Indiana Fever debut 👏

🔥 21 PTS
🔥 8 REB
🔥 2 AST

Fever beat the Mystics 79-74 in an OT thriller. pic.twitter.com/ZRPmfKvYCU

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 3, 2025

While the Fever haven’t confirmed her status yet, the practice footage definitely gives fans, and possibly the coaching staff some optimism. If she does take the court tomorrow, even in limited minutes, it could be a big energy boost for fans and her Indiana teammates alike.

It looks like if it were up to Cunningham, it’d be all systems go against the Sky, and if she’s hitting shots from half-court in practice, she might just be ready to light it up when the Fever finally take the court.