Sophie Cunningham’s off-court moment with Brittany Mahomes says more about her Fever return than the stat line

Sophie Cunningham’s off-court moment with Brittany Mahomes says more about her Fever return than the stat line originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The easy takeaway from Indiana Fever’s preseason opener is the box score. Sophie Cunningham scored 13 points in just 14 minutes, knocked down three triples, and looked comfortable again after a season-ending knee injury in 2025. That alone would have been enough to mark a successful return. But the more revealing moment came later, away from the court.

Cunningham’s brief, two-word reaction to Brittany Mahomes,  “damn ma 🤠🔥”, might seem like a throwaway social media comment. In reality, it caught something bigger about where she is right now as a player and personality.

A player who looks like herself again

For much of last season, Cunningham’s absence left a noticeable gap in Indiana’s rotation. She brings spacing, edge, and a level of confidence that doesn’t always show up in traditional metrics. On Saturday, those traits were back immediately. She wasn’t easing into action. She was hunting shots, playing freely, and moving without hesitation. That matters more than the raw numbers in April. The Fever’s 109-91 win over the New York Liberty is secondary in the preseason. What matters is that Cunningham looked like someone no longer thinking about her knee.

The personality piece matters just as much

Cunningham has always been one of the more expressive personalities in the WNBA. That edge is part of what makes her effective. It shows up in her shot selection, her defensive energy, and the way she carries herself. Her comment on Mahomes wasn’t just fandom. It was a reminder that she’s fully comfortable again, engaging, joking, and being visible. Players coming off serious injuries don’t always return with that same ease right away. That’s often the last step.