Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever have been fighting their way through most of the 2025 WNBA season without star guard Caitlin Clark.
Having played the entire 2024 campaign, this year hasn’t been pleasant for Clark. Of the 38 games the Fever played, she has only been on the court for 13 of them. Injuries have derailed her momentum as Indiana has had to handle most of their opponents without her services.
Clark remains unavailable for Indiana, which has been the case since July 15 after they beat the Connecticut Sun. She has missed 16 consecutive games, which the team has been 8-8 without her talents on the court.
Cunningham reflected on her team’s challenges during her Aug. 26 episode of the Show Me Something podcast. She points to Kyra Lambert, who the Fever recently signed, who came from playing Turkey and how difficult it is to learn the system in such a short time.
“I think when you have a situation, like us, where you have a new roster literally every five days, it’s like you want to peak, but at this point, you’re just trying to catch some type of rhythm. You’re trying to get chemistry. Like we just brought in a girl who was training in Turkey, right? Like she’s been in the W, but she hasn’t been the W in a couple years,” Cunningham said at the 25:49 mark.
“And so it’s just like at some point, and this is me just being real. It’s like you can keep saying, ‘Oh, you know, it’s just part of the game. It’s just professional.’ But at the end of the day, it’s hard to catch a rhythm and chemistry when you only have two days together.”
What Lies Ahead For Sophie Cunningham, Fever
GettyPaige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings makes a move on Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever during the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on August 12, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
It’s clear that Sophie Cunningham understands the need for the Fever squad to have resilience while Caitlin Clark and others are on the sidelines due to injury.
Cunningham has showcased her efforts in the 30 games she took part in. She is averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one steal per game. She is shooting 46.9% from the field, including 43.2% from beyond the arc, and 87.5% from the free-throw line.
Luckily for Cunningham and the Fever, they have persevered in Clark’s absence, remaining in the playoff picture as the season winds down. The team is 8-5 when she plays and 12-13 with her on the sidelines.
In her latest absence, they’ve been averaging around 86 points per game, shooting 44.8% overall and 36.6% from three. They’ve had their struggles on defense, conceding over 87 points on shooting splits of 48% and 38.6%.
Indiana has a 20-18 record on the season, holding the third spot of the Eastern Conference standings. They are three games behind the New York Liberty and 4.5 games behind the Atlanta Dream. With six contests remaining, they remain firm in playoff contention while they await Clark’s return to the court.
The Fever will prepare for their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 29 at 10 p.m. ET.
Sophie Cunningham Gets Honest About Fever’s Struggles Without Caitlin Clark