What Sophie Cunningham's return from injury means for the Fever

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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is set to return Saturday night against the Connecticut Sun.

Cunningham missed her first game of the 2026 season on Thursday, when the Fever (7-5) held off the Chicago Sky in an overtime thriller at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Indiana's 114-106 overtime win marked the Fever's second successive victory, and they will be favored to extend their streak to three games against the rebuilding Sun (2-12).

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Cunningham has been playing through soreness in her shooting elbow that has affected her 3-point percentage this season.

After shooting better than 43 percent from deep in her first season with the Fever last year, Cunningham is shooting 33 percent from behind the arc in 2026 -- though her scoring average (8.7 points per game) is practically the same as last year (8.6 points).

However, Cunningham's value to the Fever goes far beyond 3-point shooting ability.

Among Indiana players with at least 250 minutes played this season, Cunningham ranks first in offensive rating, true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage.

That is despite a low 14.7 percent usage rate, meaning she doesn't need that many possessions to generate a lot of scoring for the Fever.

In a backcourt where Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell both use a lot of possessions, having Cunningham as a release valve means her value to Indiana specifically is very high.

And that's why head coach Stephanie White will breathe a sigh of relief that No.8 will be back on Saturday night.

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