Sophie Cunningham’s 2025 season with the Indiana Fever has been cut short with injury.
The Indiana Fever starter and former Missouri women’s basketball star will miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to a right-knee injury she sustained in the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. Cunningham is playing in her seventh season in the WNBA and her first with Indiana after an offseason trade from the Phoenix Mercury.
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Cunningham had to be helped off of the court in the second quarter of Sunday’s game after Sun guard Bria Hartley fell into her leg underneath the basket. The Mizzou alum and Columbia local immediately grabbed her right leg and appeared to be in significant pain.
The Fever, who have been dealing with significant injury woes this season between a lengthy spell on the sidelines for All-Star Caitlin Clark and season-ending injuries to point guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson, said Cunningham is expected to make a full recovery.
Indiana announced in a news release that it has signed guard Shey Peddy to a seven-day hardship contract and released guard Kyra Lambert in a corresponding move.
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Cunningham, 29, averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this season — her first with the Fever. She had scored in double-digits in 11 of her past 15 games before sustaining the season-ending injury.
Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) is helped off the court injured as they take on the Connecticut Sun in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) is injured on a play against Connecticut Sun guard Bria Hartley (14) in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Fever have nine regular-season games remaining this year. They are currently 19-16, which sits sixth place in the WNBA standings and 10 games behind the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.
Indiana is third in the Eastern Conference standings, 3.5 games back of the Atlanta Dream.
The WNBA Playoffs begin Sept. 14. Indiana will next play Minnesota at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Indianapolis.
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Earlier this year, Cunningham was announced as a member of Missouri athletics’ 2025 Hall of Fame Class. The Rock Bridge High grad is the all-time leading scorer for Mizzou women’s basketball with 2,187 points. The Tigers have not been to the NCAA Tournament since Cunningham graduated in 2019.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou alum Sophie Cunningham ruled out for rest of season with injury
