The Fever went into their August 16 clash with the Connecticut Sun with one goal in mind: keep stacking wins until Caitlin Clark returns and build momentum for the playoffs. But everything changed in the second quarter. Sophie Cunningham went down, clutching her knee after Bria Hartley awkwardly fell on it. Since that night, the Fever have managed to win just one game. The exact details of her injury were kept under wraps until Sophie herself revealed on her Show Me Something podcast that it was an MCL injury.

In the latest episode of her Show Me Something podcast, Sophie Cunningham gave fans a brutally honest look at her recovery, and it hasn’t been pretty. “Well, honestly, it’s been a freaking sh-t show,” she said. “No, listen to this. I react so weird to pain meds. I’ve had three surgeries, and my meds have always been different because of that. So, I was on hydros (Hydrocodone). Was not working. I could feel every little cut and incision they did on my knee. Then I got to Oxy(Oxycontin), and you’re only supposed to take one, but I’ve got such a low tolerance that I had to take like two and a half before I was finally feeling good.”

Right after the incident, Dr. Brian Sutterer broke down three possible scenarios for Cunningham’s injury, with one of them being an MCL tear. Turns out he was right. Luckily for Sophie, it’s the kind of knee injury players can make a full recovery from. She even addressed it on the last episode of her podcast, saying, “I did tear my MCL. And if you’re going to hurt your knee, that is like the best possible case.”

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) is helped off the court after an injury Friday, May 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Connecticut Sun defeated the Indiana Fever, 85-83.As we discussed earlier, Stephen Curry is a prime example of recovering fully from an MCL injury. It didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest shooters of all time. The Fever has seen the same kind of bounce-back stories, too. Damiris Dantas returned in about four months after her MCL injury last year, while Natasha Howard, during her Liberty days, was back on the court in just five weeks from a strain. So, for Sophie, the road to recovery might be tough, but history says a full comeback is more than possible.

But like with any surgery, the recovery phase is brutal. Athletes often have to rely on pain meds, and Cunningham shared how that hasn’t been easy for her. Over the years, with injuries from her collarbone to her ankle and now her knee, her body seems to have built a weird tolerance to them. Understandable for someone who’s been through it all. Still, the good news? According to Sophie, her recovery is actually going really well.

When co-host West Wilson asked her how her knee was doing, Sophie answered in the most Sophie Cunningham way possible. “Honestly real good,” the Indiana Fever guard said. “They went in there, and everything-oh, listen to this. They said for my age, and for what I do for a living, that my knees are looking real nice. I said, that’s what he said!”

Cunningham shared that she’s done a bit of physical therapy and has mostly been sticking to icing her knee for now because even though bending is what would be the hardest, in her case, getting it straight is causing the problem. There’s still no set timeline for her return, but the hope is to see her back on the court next season. In the meantime, as she watches from the sidelines, the Fever finally managed to grab a win — their first since the last time she suited up for them.

The Fever finally win without Sophie Cunningham

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Indiana Fever. Losing three guards for the rest of the season? Brutal. Heading into the game against the Seattle Storm, they had managed just 2 wins in their last 6 outings. Sitting at 19-18, the Fever suddenly found themselves staring at the very real possibility of missing out on the playoffs this season.

Since Sophie’s injury, the Fever had dropped back-to-back games and were desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. And they delivered. 95-75, the scoreboard at the end of the game. Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and new signing Odyssey Sims all went off for 20-plus points as the Fever cruised past the Storm and jumped to 6th in the table.

Fever fans are still holding out hope to see Caitlin Clark back on the court before the regular season wraps up. Coach White has hinted she’s close to returning to practice, but the exact timeline is still up in the air. But the Fever need to keep winning to keep their playoff hopes alive. The battle for those 6th to 8th playoff spots is heating, with the Storm, Valkyries, and Sparks all breathing down their necks. Do you think the Fever will make it? Drop your predictions in the comments.