Sophie Cunningham’s voice has been one of the most colorful additions to the Indiana Fever’s season. Her perspective hasn’t changed a bit, now that the team is on the biggest stages in years.
The Fever have stunned critics by advancing out of their first round of the WNBA playoffs, setting up a high-profile clash with the Las Vegas Aces. And while the team’s underdog journey has been widely celebrated, Cunningham’s candid reflections hint at a deeper motivation fueling Indy’s run.
Sophie Cunningham Ponders Over Indiana Fever Defying Expectations
Defying all odds and expectations, Indy gained a dramatic victory over the Atlanta Dream, advancing to the next stage of the WNBA playoffs. This comes after a decade-long drought, leaving analysts, fans, and everyone else buzzing about how the injury-riddled team managed to pull it off.
Cunningham, who is also sidelined for the entire season with a torn MCL, could only watch as her teammates battled through the tense Game 3. But on her Show Me Something podcast, the veteran guard didn’t hold back about how she felt during Indiana’s improbable climb.
“I think, like, the league is so mad that we won because we’re literally not supposed to be here at all, and that just like kind of fuels our fire even more,” Cunningham said. “But it was just like so fun. It was one of those games that first of all, I was sweating my a** off because I was so nervous, and like I don’t really get anxious much. I was so anxious, like I could not sit still.”
Sophie Cunningham on the Fever advancing to the semifinals “The League is so mad that we won, because we are literally not supposed to be here at all, and that just fuels our fire even more.” pic.twitter.com/4WaJKUf4B8
— CaitlinFor3 (@CaitlinForThree) September 20, 2025
Her words captured the defiance and hope the Fever have carried through ever since the team’s adversities started. Cunningham even admitted that, despite the nerves, she never doubted the outcome.”I just knew deep down in my gut that we were gonna win, like somehow we were gonna win.”
That confidence proved prophetic. Indiana trailed for most of the game, but late heroics from Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull sealed an 87-85 victory that advanced the Fever to their first semifinal since 2015.
How Did the Indiana Fever Go From Underdogs to Superheroes?
What Cunningham said only goes further to highlight how much Fever thrives on being underestimated.
Even before the series began, experts predicted the Dream would end Indiana’s season quickly, especially with Caitlin Clark and multiple key players sidelined. Instead, Indiana fought through adversity, with Kelsey Mitchell leading the charge offensively and Boston anchoring both ends of the floor.
Now comes a tougher test: a best-of-five against the Las Vegas Aces, a powerhouse led by A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young. Indiana actually won two of three regular-season matchups with Las Vegas, including a decisive 80-70 victory in July, but the stakes are far higher this time.
The Aces boast one of the league’s most efficient offenses and the reigning MVP. They can easily set the stage for a battle that will demand even more resilience from the Fever.
For Cunningham and her teammates, that doubt from the outside world is no longer a burden. Rather, it’s fuel for them.
With the spotlight shifting to the semifinals, Indiana’s improbable run has already forced the league to rethink expectations. If they can carry that same edge into the next round, the Fever may not just be happy to be here; they might be ready to shock the WNBA again.