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ATLANTA – Sophie Cunningham has been waiting for this moment. The moment she was able to step on the court in an Indiana Fever uniform for the first time in a game that mattered.
That was delayed by about a week because of an ankle injury, but Cunningham officially made her debut Thursday night in Atlanta — the same city she suffered the injury.
“It felt good,” Cunningham told IndyStar after the Fever's 81-76 win over the Dream. “I think we have something special going on here. We have a lot to figure out, but at the end of the day, we have really good people, and we’re going to be a pretty good squad.”
Her debut was a culmination of weeks begging Fever coach Stephanie White to let her play; a campaign that started just days after her injury.
Cunningham injured her ankle in the Fever’s final preseason game May 10 at Atlanta, landing awkwardly after stepping on Dream forward Rhyne Howard’s foot. Cunningham was in a boot following that game and sat out the next few Fever practices, but was putting up shots post practice a few days later.
She sang renditions of “put me in coach,” during her shooting sessions following practice just four days after her injury, telling White she was “going crazy” not playing.
When Cunningham finally did return to practice May 16, she didn’t miss a beat. In her first practice back, she won the Fever’s pregame halfcourt contest, jumping and dancing around the court as the ball went into the hoop. She yelled, “I told you guys I was ready to play!”
Still, she didn’t play in the Fever’s season-opener May 17. Or against the Dream in the Fever’s one-point loss May 20.
White wanted to make sure Cunningham’s ankle was not only as healed as possible, but also that she wasn’t subconsciously overcompensating on one leg.
"I think the most important thing for us was making sure that she had her balance back in terms of, you know, her explosiveness and her landing, and she wasn't compensating in any way that might have set her up for future injury or have setbacks," White said pregame. "So, that's been remedied. She's gotten some workouts in, and it looks good, and she's close to normal. So we're ready to give her a go."
It was something Cunningham knew, in the back of her mind, was the right thing to do. But that doesn’t mean she liked it.
“I know I probably shouldn’t have played the first two games, but I was like, ‘I’m fine, I can suck it up,’” Cunningham said. “They were like, ‘No, be smart,’ I’m just not good at that, because I just want to play. It felt good (to play). I think we have something special going on here."
And no, despite her TikTok caption on her season-opening outfit (which read “probs shouldn’t have worn heels with a broken ankle BUT BEAUTY IS PAIN”), her injury was not that serious.
“No, I did not break my ankle,” Cunningham told IndyStar with a laugh. “I am drama, if you haven’t noticed.”
So, finally, with no minutes restriction in sight, Cunningham made her debut for the Fever on Thursday night. She came off the bench for 20 minutes, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting (2-of-4 from 3-point range), and added six rebounds.
She was also active defensively, drawing multiple fouls — including the offensive foul on Howard that sealed the win for the Fever (2-1).
“I was gassed, I’m not even gonna lie,” Cunningham said. “I was out of breath for a little bit, but, you know, that’s just part of it. At this level, the only way you kind of get into shape is to play.”
Cunningham’s return also shifted the Fever’s rotation significantly. She took on the backup point guard position, both with and without Caitlin Clark in the game. She ran the ball up the court to help give Clark some off-ball looks, and she assumed true point guard duties in the times when Clark was on the bench in foul trouble.
Even when she’s not at her regular fitness level, Cunningham provides a spark off the bench that not many players can replicate. Her fiery personality, ability to extend, get her hands on as many plays as possible and defensive tenacity were some of what the Fever were missing in the first two games.
Now, the Fever are back at full strength; “Spicy Sophie” included.
“She brings a level of energy that is huge, and I think not playing in a couple games, not getting a chance to practice fully before getting back out there, I was really proud of her for the energy that she brought,” Fever guard Lexie Hull said. “She made some big plays down the stretch, getting her hands on, getting steals and getting deflections, and we really needed her tonight.”
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sophie Cunningham returns from injury to give Fever spark vs Dream
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That was delayed by about a week because of an ankle injury, but Cunningham officially made her debut Thursday night in Atlanta — the same city she suffered the injury.
“It felt good,” Cunningham told IndyStar after the Fever's 81-76 win over the Dream. “I think we have something special going on here. We have a lot to figure out, but at the end of the day, we have really good people, and we’re going to be a pretty good squad.”
Her debut was a culmination of weeks begging Fever coach Stephanie White to let her play; a campaign that started just days after her injury.
Cunningham injured her ankle in the Fever’s final preseason game May 10 at Atlanta, landing awkwardly after stepping on Dream forward Rhyne Howard’s foot. Cunningham was in a boot following that game and sat out the next few Fever practices, but was putting up shots post practice a few days later.
She sang renditions of “put me in coach,” during her shooting sessions following practice just four days after her injury, telling White she was “going crazy” not playing.
When Cunningham finally did return to practice May 16, she didn’t miss a beat. In her first practice back, she won the Fever’s pregame halfcourt contest, jumping and dancing around the court as the ball went into the hoop. She yelled, “I told you guys I was ready to play!”
Still, she didn’t play in the Fever’s season-opener May 17. Or against the Dream in the Fever’s one-point loss May 20.
White wanted to make sure Cunningham’s ankle was not only as healed as possible, but also that she wasn’t subconsciously overcompensating on one leg.
"I think the most important thing for us was making sure that she had her balance back in terms of, you know, her explosiveness and her landing, and she wasn't compensating in any way that might have set her up for future injury or have setbacks," White said pregame. "So, that's been remedied. She's gotten some workouts in, and it looks good, and she's close to normal. So we're ready to give her a go."
It was something Cunningham knew, in the back of her mind, was the right thing to do. But that doesn’t mean she liked it.
“I know I probably shouldn’t have played the first two games, but I was like, ‘I’m fine, I can suck it up,’” Cunningham said. “They were like, ‘No, be smart,’ I’m just not good at that, because I just want to play. It felt good (to play). I think we have something special going on here."
And no, despite her TikTok caption on her season-opening outfit (which read “probs shouldn’t have worn heels with a broken ankle BUT BEAUTY IS PAIN”), her injury was not that serious.
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“No, I did not break my ankle,” Cunningham told IndyStar with a laugh. “I am drama, if you haven’t noticed.”
So, finally, with no minutes restriction in sight, Cunningham made her debut for the Fever on Thursday night. She came off the bench for 20 minutes, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting (2-of-4 from 3-point range), and added six rebounds.
She was also active defensively, drawing multiple fouls — including the offensive foul on Howard that sealed the win for the Fever (2-1).
“I was gassed, I’m not even gonna lie,” Cunningham said. “I was out of breath for a little bit, but, you know, that’s just part of it. At this level, the only way you kind of get into shape is to play.”
Cunningham’s return also shifted the Fever’s rotation significantly. She took on the backup point guard position, both with and without Caitlin Clark in the game. She ran the ball up the court to help give Clark some off-ball looks, and she assumed true point guard duties in the times when Clark was on the bench in foul trouble.
Even when she’s not at her regular fitness level, Cunningham provides a spark off the bench that not many players can replicate. Her fiery personality, ability to extend, get her hands on as many plays as possible and defensive tenacity were some of what the Fever were missing in the first two games.
Now, the Fever are back at full strength; “Spicy Sophie” included.
“She brings a level of energy that is huge, and I think not playing in a couple games, not getting a chance to practice fully before getting back out there, I was really proud of her for the energy that she brought,” Fever guard Lexie Hull said. “She made some big plays down the stretch, getting her hands on, getting steals and getting deflections, and we really needed her tonight.”
Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Fever newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sophie Cunningham returns from injury to give Fever spark vs Dream
Continue reading...
