Sophie Cunningham hurt her leg during the Indiana Fever-Connecticut Sun WNBA game on August 17. She had to make an early exit after what seemed like a nasty injury. Cunningham was seen clutching her knee in pain, before being tended to. After her exit, it was announced that she would not be returning to finish the game.
Sophie Cunningham remains doubtful for Indiana Fever’s game against Minnesota Lynx on August 23.(Getty Images via AFP)
Fever’s coach, Stephanie White, provided some insight after the game, saying “…the way that she fell and how she was holding herself and how much pain she was in…” when offering her perspective on how things unfolded during the game.
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However, an official update from Indiana Fever is awaited. Meanwhile, fans have begun to fear the worst, with many feeling that the star may have torn her ACL, which could potentially be a season-ending injury.
“Sophie Cunningham might have just torn her acl. I pray she didn’t,” a fan remarked. Amid the worries in the absence of official confirmation, one hint has provided fans with some solace about Cunningham’s current condition.
Sophie Cunningham hint reduces fans’ worry
Indiana Fever posted a clip of coach White’s speech in the locker room after their win against Connecticut. She praises the team’s grit and resilience, and lauds the contributions of the players.
When the clip ends, the coach seems to be walking out of the frame, but the camera focuses on a smiling face behind her. It belongs to none other than Sophie Cunningham. From the clip, it appears as though Cunningham was waiting to greet another of her teammates.
A X profile also picked this moment, taking a screenshot.
“Best part of the post game locker room coach talk. A smiling Sophie standing up. Hope it’s not season ending,” the X user then wrote. The post saw several supportive comments in the replies. “Best part of the post game locker room coach talk. A smiling Sophie standing up. Hope it’s not season ending, wrote one user.
“Playoffs is my hope, which is a month away,” said another.
Sports Illustrated also reported sports injury expert, MD Brian Sutterer, note that factors like how Cunningham injured her knee – the angle and impact – led him to think that she might not have torn her ACL. He added that Cunningham could have suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, or a kneecap dislocation.
Will Sophie Cunningham be back for the next game?
Fever next play the Minnesota Lynx on August 23. That’s less than a week’s time for the next game. Even if it’s not an ACL tear, going by the expert SI spoke to, if Cunningham suffers a MCL injury, she could still be out for a few weeks. If she’s got a dislocated kneecap, this could mean a 6-8 week recovery time, as per Cleveland Clinic, so Cunningham is likely to miss the next game.
However, it is best to await official confirmation from the team following medical tests to gauge when the Indiana Fever star will be back on the court.