Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made a passionate statement about the state of the team as it deals with Caitlin Clark’s injuries and tries to keep the season from spiraling. Speaking to reporters after their win over the Dallas Wings on Friday, Cunningham emphasized the importance of overcoming adversity and working together. She noted that the team has faced a number of distractions this season, including injuries and uncertainty over who will be playing each game, but she viewed these challenges as opportunities for growth.
“I think so far this season, we’ve had a lot of distractions. Some injuries. Don’t know who’s playing. Just a lot of distractions. But I think that’s really good for us, ” she said, via the Indy Star. “Let’s go through the adversity early. Let’s learn from it. Good news is we’re not going to peak too early, so I mean, that’s a positive. It’s not an excuse. Everyone’s playing a back-to-back. Everyone has this kind of rough schedule. For us, we get another opportunity tomorrow, and we’ve got to capitalize on it. Dallas is a team that’s hungry for a win.
“We’ve talked about this, we’re circled on everybody’s schedule. No one likes us, right? So, everyone in our locker room? That’s the only type of people that we have that we can lean on. We’ve got to be better in that area. We have got to stay disciplined, we have to stay focused, we need to get consistent and we’ve got to lean on each other. I think that we’ve kind of wavered a little bit on that. We have our own islands,” she added.
Cunningham also spoke about the challenges posed by the WNBA’s demanding schedule, noting that it’s a topic of concern for players. New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has previously spoken about the difficulties of the 44-game schedule and the need for changes in the league’s structure to ensure teams have adequate rest and recovery time.
“We want to play the games, especially if that’s what is wanted for TV and having these sellout arenas, ” Stewart said earlier this month. “I think the hardest part is no matter what, when I was playing 36 games or 32 games, it was in the same amount of time as 44 games.
“I know on both ends between April and October there’s things happening. But I think that’s one of the biggest talking points in the next CBA is like, alright, how can we make it so teams aren’t playing four (games) in six (days) three times in a season and continuing to have the rest and recovery so we are at our best. It’s tough, it’s a tough thing,” Stewart explained.
The WNBA schedule has become a point of contention among players, as they continue to push for changes that prioritize their health and performance over the demands of the season. Cunningham’s comments reinforce the growing sentiment that the league needs to address the challenges of its current schedule to ensure players can compete at their best throughout the season.