The Indiana Fever‘s 2025 WNBA season continues to potentially unravel following a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Sophie Cunningham is offering a sobering look into the challenges behind the scenes as the veteran didn’t shy away from acknowledging both on and off-court issues.
In the aftermath of another disappointing loss in an 85-75 defeat at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 27, this time without the injured Caitlin Clark, the guard admitting to a lack of cohesion in the locker room.
The Fever led for the majority of the contest before collapsing in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 35-17 in the final frame as they slumped to their eighth defeat of the year and into a negative record.
Cunningham, who contributed 10 points along with two rebounds and four steals, couldn’t quite do enough to prevent another missed opportunity for Indiana, especially against a struggling Sparks team and she offered a blunt review of the match and atmosphere at the Fever.
“The good news is we’re not gonna peak too early,” Cunningham told reporters. “So I mean, that’s a positive. It’s not an excuse.
“Everyone’s playing a back-to-back, everyone has this kind of rough schedule. For us, it’s another opportunity tomorrow, and we’ve got to capitalize on it.
“We are circled on everybody’s schedule. No one likes us, right? So, everyone in our locker room, that’s the only type of people that we have that we can lean on.
“We have got to stay disciplined; we have to stay focused, we need to get consistent, and we got to lean on each other. And I think we’ve kind of wavered on that.
“We have our own islands. As one of the leaders of the team, I got to do a better job of grouping people.”
What do Sophie Cunningham’s comments mean?
Her remarks point to something deeper than fatigue or tactical errors – a fractured locker room at a time when the Fever desperately need solidarity under the management of Stephanie White, as they chase a first championship since 2012.
Her recognition of the issue and willingness to take responsibility as a veteran presence in the squad may mark a turning point, but it also lays bare the uphill battle facing the team.
Despite not being defending champions, the Fever are arguably the most scrutinized team in the WNBA, largely due to the presence of Clark, and this means they’re a target for the rest of the league.
Everyone wants to make a statement against the talented 23-year-old, who was voted Rookie of the Year in 2024 and is currently averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and five rebounds per game.
For example, the clash with the Connecticut Sun on June 18 saw both Marina Mabrey and Jacy Sheldon go in hard on the ex-Iowa Hawkeyes star, whilst the Chicago Sky‘s Chennedy Carter did so in the past too.
Next on the schedule is a crucial matchup against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on Friday, June 27, which begins at 19:30 ET/16:30 PT at the American Airlines Center in Texas: Can the Fever respond?
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