Cursed or Coincidence? Sophie Cunningham Thinks the Indiana Fever’s Injury Spree Is More Than Bad Luck
Cursed or Coincidence? Sophie Cunningham Thinks the Indiana Fever’s Injury Spree Is More Than Bad Luck
The Indiana Fever entered the 2025 WNBA season as a promising dark-horse contender, but the team’s campaign has quickly turned into a nightmare of injuries. What began as unfortunate misfortune now has some players, including star guard Sophie Cunningham, wondering if the team is actually cursed.
All WNBA teams face injuries — it comes with the territory of professional basketball — but no team has been hit harder this season than the Fever. Already, more than 200 injuries have been recorded across the league in the WNBA’s longest-ever 44-game season. Yet Indiana seems to be suffering a uniquely brutal run.
The list of setbacks is staggering. Guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald are sidelined with season-ending injuries. Sophie Cunningham herself was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering an MCL tear in her right knee. On top of that, Caitlin Clark has missed over a month with a right groin strain, and her return remains uncertain.
Cunningham didn’t hold back on her “Show Me Something” podcast, offering a wild explanation for the team’s string of bad luck: birthdays. According to the Fever guard, injuries seem to hit right after players celebrate their special day.
“Sydney has her birthday on August 6,” Cunningham said. “The next day we played, she completely tore her ACL. And then my birthday was August 16, we played the next day, and I hurt my knee. And we still have a couple more birthdays on our team… do they play?”
The next birthdays on the roster belong to Natasha Howard, the three-time WNBA champion, who turns 34 on September 2 as the Fever travel to face the Phoenix Mercury, and guard Lexie Hull, who turns 26 on September 13, right before the playoffs begin. If Cunningham’s theory holds any weight, fans may be nervously watching the calendar as much as the standings.
Despite the injuries, the Fever have managed to remain competitive. Indiana sits sixth in the WNBA standings with a 19-16 record, only 2.5 games ahead of ninth place. Even with a roster drastically different from what was envisioned back in May, the Fever can still achieve their primary goal: making it to the playoffs. But with star players sidelined and key contributors struggling, the path forward is far from smooth.
Whether it’s pure coincidence or a true curse, Cunningham’s birthday theory adds a bizarre twist to an already challenging season. Fans can only hope the Fever can avoid any more bad luck and finish the season strong — birthday celebrations or not.
