Sophie Cunningham went from questionable to available in a matter of minutes Wednesday night, and the Indiana Fever needed the swing. Cunningham, who was dealing with back spasms during warmups, was not on the bench to start the first quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks before later coming back in as the fifth player off the bench.
That mattered because Indiana was already thin. Aliyah Boston was out with a lower right leg injury, and the Fever were using a smaller lineup, which made Cunningham’s wing minutes more valuable than usual. In a game that drew attention through Indiana Fever vs Los Angeles Sparks match player stats, her availability changed the way the bench had to be managed almost immediately.
The concern was not coming out of nowhere. Cunningham had missed practice last week because of an illness, then returned before Indiana began its four-game trip out west. She had also just logged 21 minutes in Sunday night’s 84-68 win over the Las Vegas Aces, scoring nine points on 3 for 6 shooting with one rebound and one assist. For a player averaging 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game, any sign of discomfort is enough to alter how the Fever handle her in real time.
What made Wednesday night different was the way the lineup unfolded around her. Indiana had Bree Hall active as another wing option, but Cunningham still ended up playing the final 3:09 of the first quarter and then 6:55 in the first half. She had two points, one rebound and one assist by halftime, but she was also a minus-11, a reminder that being available and being fully right are not the same thing.
That is the part that will linger after the final score. Cunningham’s back spasms were serious enough to make her status uncertain during the game, yet not severe enough to keep her out for the night. The Fever got her minutes when they needed them, but the question that remains is whether the brace around her back was a one-night precaution or a sign that Indiana may have to keep adjusting its rotation again soon.
