“We have to peak at the right time,” remarked the new Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White during preseason. The Fever looked like they were warming the engines during preseason, not quite at full intensity. Caitlin Clark had to sit out their opening preseason game against the Washington Mystics with her minor injury, and the backup point guard situation was already tense. The Fever fans were worried about who would take the reins if Clark had to miss a couple of games in the season. The respite came from an unlikely source, Sophie Cunningham.

She played 34 minutes on the court in a preseason game, probably because White wanted to try her at point guard. Cunningham moved the ball around smoothly and tied a close game with a couple of free throws in the final quarter. She had a game-high 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting, eight rebounds, and two assists. The Fever eventually closed out the game 79-74 in overtime. Even though Clark was eventually back for the next couple of games, the fans and White had one worry off their back, as they knew Cunningham could probably hold that point guard position in Clark’s absence.

That good feeling did not last long, as Cunningham was soon injured in their final game against the Atlanta Dream. Going for a defensive rebound, she landed on her heel and injured her ankle. She was forced to sit out of practice all week leading up to the opening game, only taking some shots after practice with minimal movement. Enough time has passed since her injury, but will the Indiana Fever risk getting her back early? Let’s find out.

Indiana Fever injury report—Will Sophie Cunningham play against the Chicago Sky?

Tony East from Fox Sports was set to ask a couple of questions to Stephanie White regarding Cunningham’s injury, but the player herself interrupted the interview and exclaimed, “I am ready to play,” she said. “I am going crazy!”

However, soon after the Fever star got back to her shooting drills, White got back to providing an answer to the question about her player’s injury status. “The last 48 hours have been really good, so the training staff will look at her in the morning, and then we’ll make a decision from there,” White said. Although it was looking promising with Cunningham regularly hitting shots in practice, she is unfortunately ruled out for the opening game, as the franchise announced on Twitter.

The season is long, and Cunningham is an important piece for White and Co., so they are taking the time for her to come back to being 100%. She will be needed on the court throughout the season, so such sacrifices have to be made. Even though she will hate to sit out in a prime game against the Chicago Sky, it is a necessary move.

The Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry is set to heat up the league once again as the cheeky schedule makers want to start the 2025 season with some fireworks on the court. Can the Chicago Sky make an upset against the Fever?

Caitlin Clark and Co can start their season with a statement win

“So rivalries are real, and that’s what makes sports so amazing.” Caitlin Clark said ahead of the cracking opening game against the Sky. This Sky-Fever rivalry has its roots in college basketball when Angel Reese made that ‘You can’t see me’ gesture to Clark when LSU beat out Clark’s Iowa in the NCAA final. It has evolved into a rivalry between these two teams, as we saw many incidents in this matchup last year.

The fans are involved, the teams are fired up, and it is set up to be an amazing game. But can the Sky make some waves early in the season? Their last seasons were contrasting, as the Fever had their playoff berth for the first time since 2016, while the Sky crashed out in the regular season with a disappointing 14-26 record. The Fever have added much more firepower since then with the arrival of All-Star DeWanna Bonner and 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard.

These veteran additions, alongside Cunningham’s acquisition, give the Fever a deeper, more experienced roster. Bonner is entering her 15th WNBA season in 2025, while Howard begins her 10th. Both bring championship pedigree, Bonner with two titles from her time with the Phoenix Mercury and Howard with two from the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm, adding leadership and playoff experience to a young core.

The Fever have a new head coach in Tyler Marsh, and their record last season was 1-3, but three of the four games went down to the wire as they were decided by fewer than 10 points. Now, with experienced guard Courtney Vandersloot and a shooter in their ranks in Ariel Atkins, they have a better chance to compete against this stacked Fever lineup. So even though it looks like the Fever have the upper hand on paper, they won’t dare underestimate the Sky. Either way, it will be a blockbuster of a game at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.