Sophie Cunningham Breaks Hearts With Emotional Photo Before Undergoing MCL Surgery
Sophie Cunningham is getting set to have season-ending surgery after her devastating MCL tear.
Last week, the Fever guard suffered her injury after passing the ball, and Bria Hartley fell on her right knee. Hartley was driving and made a pass to the far corner. As Cunningham tried to help out on defense, Hartley fell forward into the Fever guard’s lower body.
The 29-year-old clutched her right knee as she fell to the court in visible pain.
Her pain caused her mother and sister to rip the league as well as Hartley. Cunningham’s sister Lindsey challenged the WNBA to “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.”
Sophie Cunningham’s mother, Paula, directed her ire at Hartley, describing her as “a disgruntled player having trouble everywhere she goes; she’s plain mean and plays out of control.”
In the meantime, the Fever guard is getting ready to have surgery.
Cunningham took to her Instagram story on Friday and showed herself all glammed up in a hospital bed while wearing nothing but a robe.
Sophie Cunningham Breaks Her Silence On Connectisun Sun Player That Hurt Her
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has no ill feelings toward Bria Hartley despite a picture of her seemingly laughing at her injury.
She acknowledged Tuesday night that she tore her MCL after colliding with Hartley under the basket and had to be helped off the floor by team staff.
She became the third player for the Fever to suffer a season-ending injury before the start of the playoffs next month, joining Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson. Not to mention, Caitlin Clark has missed 14 consecutive games.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of her Show Me Something podcast, Cunningham said, “I know Bria, and I’m actually really good friends with Bria,” she said.
And I have been waiting to get on the pod so we can talk about this… But I don’t think that there [was any] ill intent… I think it was a basketball play, I was just in the front spot at the wrong time, she fell…”
“I have nothing but love for Bria… Bria and I are super cool, and she would never try to hurt me. Because there are some girls that I think might, but she wouldn’t do that. I hope people stop giving Bria some heat, because I don’t think she meant to do that at all.”
The injury ended what had been Cunningham’s best season in the WNBA. She averaged 8.6 points and set personal bests in field-goal percentage (46.9) and three-point percentage (43.2).
Brittney Griner Finally Breaks Her Silence Over Alleged Caitlin Clark Comments That The WNBA Refused To Investigate
Brittney Griner (Photo via Twitter)
WNBA star Brittney Griner was at the center of a new debate over what she allegedly said in a game against basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.
The Atlanta Dream center found herself at the center of social media controversy last month when some fans thought she disparaged Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark upon fouling out.
The game’s broadcast focused on an upset Griner saying something as she returned to the Dream bench after fouling out of the game. While there’s no audio of this moment, some who tried to read Griner’s lips thought she called Clark a “trash f–king white girl.”
However, there’s no proof of Griner saying those actual words since others thought she stated something else.
It took weeks for someone to finally get a quote from her, and she provided much of nothing.
Brittney Griner was asked about this moment before her team’s June 15 game against the Washington Mystics and said, “I remember fouling out, being mad. I remember fouling out on, I believe it was [Natasha] Howard driving to the basket. They said I put my hand in.”
This is the first time I’ve heard Brittney Griner speak! 🤨
And this person is on a women’s basketball team? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/PogH2LHf3B— Jannine.. #MagaMemeQueen ™️ 👑🇺🇸 (@janninereid1) June 15, 2025
WNBA Chooses Not To Investigate Brittney Griner
Brittney Griner (Photo By Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
Moments before the conclusion of the Indiana Fever’s 81-76 victory over the Dream at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta weeks ago, cameras seemingly caught Atlanta Dream star center Brittney Griner labeling Caitlin Clark “trash” before calling her a “f***ing white girl” in frustration over a foul on Natasha Howard.
The clip of Griner speaking on the bench, lacking context, spread on social media and went viral.
Griner, who won a gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, essentially got aw@y with whatever came out of her mouth because the league basically ignored the controversy.
This incident is not the only time Griner vocalized her frustrations this season. Following another game, she stormed off mid-interview, yelling at the referees to “be f—ing better.
