Image Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

“The league is so mad” – Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off As Indiana Fever Take On Las Vegas Aces in Semi-Finals

Sophie Cunningham shares fiery reaction

Image Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever stunned the basketball world by advancing to the WNBA 2025 semifinals with an 87-85 upset over the No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream in Thursday’s decisive Game 3.

Against all odds, and without several key contributors including Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Indiana delivered one of the most shocking postseason results in recent memory.

Aliyah Boston sealed the victory with a layup in the final seconds, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Her basket came after Odyssey Sims found her wide open under the rim, capping a rally from an 85-80 deficit with just over two minutes left.

Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 24 points, hitting three shots from deep, while Sims added 16 points and eight assists after joining the team midseason on a hardship contract.

The Fever’s defense closed the door, with Lexie Hull stealing a botched inbound from Rhyne Howard to preserve the lead. On the other side, Allisha Gray had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta, Jordin Canada added 18 points and 10 assists, and Howard finished with 16. Despite leading by as many as eight and holding a halftime advantage, the Dream could not protect their cushion.

Sophie Cunningham Delivers Fiery Reaction After Upset

Sidelined since August with a torn MCL, Sophie Cunningham shared her perspective the next day on the Show Me Something podcast.

“The league is so mad that we won, because we are literally not supposed to be here at all,” Cunningham said. “And that just fuels our fire even more.”

Her absence has been a blow to the Indiana Fever, as she averaged 8.6 points this season while shooting over 43% from beyond the arc. Cunningham’s role had expanded during Caitlin Clark’s injury spells, but neither player was available for the postseason.

The Indiana Fever also lost Sydney Colson, Chloe Bibby, and Aari McDonald to season-ending injuries, forcing them to rely on hardship signings. Despite that, they prevailed against an Atlanta squad that had finished the regular season 30-14 under first-year head coach Karl Smesko, bolstered by new additions like Brittney Griner and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.

The Dream entered the series favored to advance, with many predicting even a sweep. Instead, it was Indiana celebrating, marking another step forward after last year’s playoff exit at the hands of Connecticut. The Fever now face the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-five semifinal series beginning September 21 in Las Vegas.