Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham doesn’t believe a dirty play led to her season-ending knee injury, and she wants everyone to stop accusing Connecticut Sun guard Bria Hartley of intentionally hurting her.
That includes Cunningham’s own mother.
Cunningham addressed the matter on an episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast that dropped Tuesday. It’s the same day the Fever announced that Cunningham will miss the remainder of the season after getting injured during Sunday’s game in Connecticut.
Hartley was driving toward the basket during the second quarter when she lost balance and collided with Cunningham on her way to the floor. Cunningham immediately grabbed her right leg in pain and was eventually helped off the court.
The seven-year WNBA veteran told co-host West Wilson that she tore the MCL in her right knee and surgery is scheduled on Friday. She also said that she has no hard feelings toward Hartley and does not blame her for the season-ending injury.
“I know Bria, and I’m actually really good friends with Bria,” Cunningham said. “… There was no ill intent. I think it was basketball play. I was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time. She fell — like there’s no way that she would go in there and potentially try to hurt me. So yeah, I have nothing but love for Bria.”
Among those who have questioned Hartley’s intentions is Cunningham’s mother, Paula, who reportedly wrote on a now-deleted X (formerly Twitter) post that Hartley is a “disgruntled player” who is “plain mean and plays out of control.”
Cunningham said she set her mother straight .
“I was like, ‘No, Mom, I get it, but I promise you, Bria and I are super cool,’” Cunningham said. “‘She would never try to hurt me, because there are some girls that I think might, but she wouldn’t do that.’ So I have nothing but love. And I hope people stop giving Bria some heat, because I don’t think she meant to do that at all.”
Cunningham also addressed a photo, taken by David Butler II for Imagn Images, from immediately after the injury occurred that some think shows Hartley smiling while Cunningham is holding her leg in agony.
“I think that smile, it wasn’t like a — it was like an ‘ooh’, you know, like, one of those,” Cunningham said, making a grimace. “So I’m totally fine” with Hartley.
In June, Cunningham sparked a scuffle between Fever and Sun players when she took down then-Connecticut player Jacy Sheldon, who was making a break toward the basket late in the game with Indiana leading by 17. Sheldon has since been traded to the Washington Mystics. Some have viewed Cunningham’s move as payback after Sheldon poked Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in the eye during a play earlier in the game.
The Fever have struggled with injuries this season. Clark hasn’t played in more than a month because of a groin injury, and guards Sydney Colson (ACL) and Aari McDonald (broken foot) saw their seasons come to a premature end because of injuries during an Aug. 7 game at Phoenix.
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