During the second quarter of the matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun, Sophie Cunningham suffered what appears to be a serious right knee injury after an unfortunate collision with an opposing player. Her sister, Lindsey, wasted no time in calling out WNBA officials, questioning the league’s protection of certain players through inconsistent officiating.
One of Stephanie White’s top players found herself at the center of some controversy in recent days after commenting on the perceived preferential treatment certain stars receive from referees—specifically pointing to Paige Bueckers, the standout rookie sensation of the Dallas Wings.
For this reason, after the first footage of Cunningham’s fall following a collision with her opponent surfaced, her sister Lindsey didn’t hesitate to take to her X social media account to speak out about the situation.
“@WNBA maybe you should focus less on fining players for commenting on your poor officiating & more about hiring officials that are able to call a consistent game and protect your athletes. Pathetic. Praying for you . @sophaller,” she wrote, adding a praying hands emoji.
While there is no concrete evidence that Cunningham was fined for her recent comments about Bueckers, she has been penalized in the past for similar incidents—something that clearly upset her and those close to her.
What happened to Sophie Cunningham?
It was the 8th minute of the second quarter, with the Fever trailing the Connecticut Sun, when everyone on the court froze as Cunningham fell to the ground, immediately clutching her right knee in visible pain.
In an attempt to block a pass near her own basket, the Sun’s attacker landed full force on the Fever star’s knee, causing her to immediately collapse and sparking concern from everyone present.
While the exact severity of the injury is still unknown, the footage is clear, and the outlook does not appear very promising.
Another loss for Stephanie White
While the severity of Sophie Cunningham’s injury is still unknown, if confirmed, it would add to the absence of another star, Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined for several weeks with a groin injury. Undoubtedly, the outlook for the Fever looks bleak as they head into the final stretch of the season.