This Connecticut Sun-Indiana Fever series has been more of a drama series than a basketball one. And in their last match of the season, the drama reached its tipping point as Cunningham exited the game with a season-ending knee injury after Bria Hartley rammed into her under the basket. And her mother wholeheartedly blamed Hartley for injuring her girl, writing, “Hartley is a disgruntled player having trouble everywhere she goes; she is plain mean and plays out of control.” 

Even her sister called out the league, asking the WNBA to “protect your athletes.” However, this national analyst did not blame the Sun guard for this play. Ros Gold Onwude said on The Good Follow Podcast, “She has been at the heart of a lot of tussles and scuffles this season. She just has. That’s a fact. But in this one play, I just think it was unfortunate timing.” Onwude went as far as to term these complaints from the Cunningham camp as ironic while referring to the infamous Cunningham-Sheldon incident, “Sophie Cunningham was the one that was in the melee, dragging a girl, you know, last time the Sun and and Fever saw each other, to me, her tweet that you pointed out kind of seemed like the pot calling the kettle hot.”

Many fans were pointing out exactly this, and Cunningham got tired of the flak and finally replied, “Some of us were raised by the words of ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew, ‘ and some of us didn’t. “Fafo,” Let’s not forget it was Sheldon who goaded Clark and Co. with some heavy fouls and an eye poke. Some see Cunningham’s act as poetic justice rather than dirty play. 

Coming back to the Hartley blame game, Cunningham actually agrees with Onwude, saying on her ‘Show Me Something’ Podcast,  “I don’t think there was any ill intent. It was a basketball play. I was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time, and she fell. There was no way she would intentionally try to hurt me.” And the way Cunningham is, if there was the slightest truth to the allegations, she would come at her full bore. 

The fiery Cunningham went to the extent of calming her mother, saying, “No, Mom, I get it. I promise, Bria and I are super cool and she would never try to hurt me.’” However, these comments from Cunningham’s family only made an already heated situation even messier. The added heat, apart from just plain competition, has been a subtle undercurrent of this season. There seems to be an extra personal touch to these clashes on court, and the analyst pinpointed why. 

Ros Gold Onwude said, “I think a lot of heat comes from these podcasts, too. There’s a lot of players in the WNBA season right now doing podcasts. They’re spilling tea. They they talking mess. And guess what? They’re seeing the opposing opponent like it almost feels like the very next game.”

Yes, Onwude went there. Many WNBA players have chosen podcasts to tell their stories and give some behind-the-scenes look to the fans, and the fans are loving it. Aliyah Boston has started her own podcast with Candace Parker, and of course, Cunningham has her ‘Show Me Something’ podcast. In addition to these, the majority of the most popular players in the league have already appeared on Sue Bird’s podcast as guests.  There have been subtle disses at referees, players, and a whole lot more “tea spilling”. 

While it has empowered the players to boost their popularity, this side effect cannot be neglected, but like Onwude concluded, “The thing about WNBA players, they want the smoke. WNBA players be coming right at you and talking about what they heard you say on the podcast. So, it makes for an exciting season and a little bit of a messy season to follow.” While the podcast has its positives and negatives, it gave Cunningham a chance to explain her feelings after that disastrous injury. 

Sophie Cunningham Is in a Positive Mood After the MCL Tear

The fans wanted Sophie Cunningham to be fit and healthy in a jiffy. But after watching how she got injured, they knew deep inside that it was not possible. The murmurs of it being another ACL tear began floating around as Indiana delayed with Cunningham’s MRI report. Then the results came. And fans began scampering for details in that Fever announcement.  However, there were none, just the fact that Cunningham was out for the season. 

Finally, a trusted reporter explained the nature of the injury, and it was an MCL tear. It meant she will recover by the time the 2026 season rolls around. The Fever star is certainly relieved with that result. “If my foot had been up a little bit, maybe my leg would’ve given in a little bit, but my foot was locked on the ground … it was like a textbook MCL tear,” Cunningham said. “If you had gone a couple more inches to the left, you would’ve torn a whole bunch more sh—. I’m very thankful for where I am at, so it’s all good.”

The WNBA has had players falling like flies with ACL tears. The Washington Mystics lost Georgia Amoore before the season even began. The Chicago Sky lost Courtney Vandersloot to an ACL tear. Sydney Colson of the Fever recently bowed out of the season with that exact injury. Considering how the luck is for the Fever, the worst was expected. Cunningham is happy with the result. So are the Fever fans who want her back in Fever colors in 2026.