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Sophie Cunningham Discusses Fever's Abundance of Nationally Televised Games in 2025

Karl Rasmussen

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham is introduced before the WNBA All-Star Skills Night at the Footprint Center
Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham is introduced before the WNBA All-Star Skills Night at the Footprint Center / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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No WNBA team will have more nationally televised games in 2025 than the Indiana Fever.

It was announced last week that 41 of the Fever's 44 regular-season games would be broadcast to a national audience. No other team in the league has more than 33 games in the national spotlight.

One of the newest members of the Fever, Sophie Cunningham, spoke with Sports Illustrated on Tuesday as part of a partnership with Quest Nutrition, and said that she's not surprised about the high number of nationally televised games Indiana will play, but acknowledged the significance of being placed in the national spotlight.

"I'm not surprised by it. I think this is what all teams deserve, but for us to kind of be the first team to do that, I think it's awesome. I think it's a great way to expand the women's game," said Cunningham.

"It's a great way to inspire the next generation of young athletes, of boys and girls, and I just think that the more people actually watch our games or come to a game, they fall in love with it. They fall in love with our style, they fall in love with who we are off the court, and it just grows the game for the better. And so, for us to be blessed with that platform, I think a lot of people see it as pressure. I see it as a great opportunity, and at the end of the day, we're all just gonna go out there and play basketball like we have been since we were four years old."

Not only are the Fever leading the charge in terms of WNBA games on national broadcasts, they're also playing more nationally televised games than any NBA team has throughout the 2024-25 season.

Cunningham acknowledged that having so many eyes on the Fever could be a catalyst for some external pressure and outside noise, but she made clear that she's hoping the team will try to focus on what it can control.

"I feel like if we can make sure our locker room is safe and that we're all protecting one another and going out and playing good basketball, I think that's a recipe for success," she said.

The first of the Fever's nationally broadcast games this year will be the team's season-opener against the Chicago Sky on May 17.

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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.

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