The Indiana Fever were slated to be one of the favorites to challenge for a WNBA championship this season. But they’ve struggled out of the gate, limping out to a 7-8 record through the first 15 games and are in 9th place out of 13 total teams in the league.
Are WNBA Teams Saving Their Best For The Fever?
Star point guard Caitlin Clark has missed some time, which likely contributes to the team’s underwhelming record. But according to 7th year shooting guard Sophie Cunningham, there may be another reason why opposing teams are playing their best games against Indiana.
I think it’s safe to say Sophie Cunningham has Caitlin Clark’s back pic.twitter.com/tCs57TsPpY
— Butler Basketball Guru (@ButlerGuru) June 18, 2025
2025 is Cunningham’s first year with the Fever, and she’s already made herself comfortable. She was acquired via trade back in February, giving Clark a veteran backcourt running mate, and an eventual protector.
In a recent game against the Connecticut Sun, Clark was poked in the eye by Jacy Sheldon, and subsequently shoved to the ground in an on-court confrontation. Later in the game, Cunningham did some shoving of her own, as she and Sheldon got into a tussle themselves, a clear retaliation for what had happened with Clark earlier on.
Cunningham’s Popularity Has Skyrocketed In The Last Week
The clip went viral, and Cunningham became a popular name in the WNBA overnight. It has caused sales of Cunningham’s jersey and merchandise to skyrocket, and her social media follower count has seen a drastic shift. The day of the incident, the 28-year-old had 468,409 followers on Instagram. Ten days later, she now has hit the 1 million mark.
The popularity has come with a target for their backs. Cunningham spoke about the team’s struggles in a recent interview, and suggested that teams save their best performances when going up against the Thunder. “We’re circled on everybody’s schedule. No one likes us.”
Sophie Cunningham speaks on the Fever’s struggles 👀 pic.twitter.com/LqRjFMTvAS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 27, 2025
The Fever started off the 2025 WNBA season with a 2-4 record, but looked like they’d right the ship when they won four out of their next five. But over the last eight days, Indiana has posted a mark of just 1-3, and will have to turn things around soon if they hope to regain their status as one of the teams to beat.
The Fever will try to get back to their winning ways on Friday in their game against the Dallas Wings, who have the second-worst record in the league. Clark’s injury status is still unknown as of the afternoon hours.
