Sophie Cunningham injury fears addressed as Fever coach delivers awaited update

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham exited the third quarter in Saturday's preseason game against the Atlanta Dream. Cunningham rolled her right ankle after a rebound attempt, However, she was able to walk off the court but would not return to the game.

According to Fever beat writer Scott Agness on X, Fever coach Stephanie White gave an update regarding Cunningham after the game. According to the coach, Cunningham herself said she was okay.

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The Fever will begin their regular season next Sunday against the Chicago Sky, giving Cunningham sufficient time to recover. Given how she walked off the court on her own as well as the update from her coach, it is fair to expect her to be available by then.

Cunningham was part of the Fever’s starting unit against the Dream and saw 15 minutes of action before her injury. She finished with five points, two rebounds and one assist.

White benched her entire starting lineup in the fourth quarter. Lexie Hull, Sydney Colson, Brianna Turner, Jaelyn Brown and Makayla Timpson played all ten minutes of the final frame. Considering this was a preseason contest.

Hull scored a team-high 14 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter. The Fever narrowly escaped with an 81-76 victory, finishing the preseason undefeated.

Sophie Cunningham electrifies in her pre-season debut for the Indiana Fever

The Indiana Fever finally made it back to the postseason last year for the first time since 2016. This offseason, the front office made aggressive moves to secure pieces that will help them capitalize on that success and momentum.

One of those moves was a four-team trade that landed Sophie Cunningham from the Phoenix Mercury. The Dallas Wings and the Phoenix Mercury were also involved in the deal.

Cunningham’s home debut for the Fever occurred last Saturday (May 3) against the Washington Mystics and she did not disappoint. She helped Indiana come back from a 15-point deficit to force overtime, where they eventually won.

She scored a game-high 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting and also secured eight rebounds, two assists and one steal.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec