It’s clear that the Indiana Fever’s locker room got along famously during the 2025 WNBA season. This is clear because anybody who has ever played a team sport understands how important having locker room chemistry and camaraderie is to a team’s success, and how not having that camaraderie can be detrimental.
And since the Fever advanced to the WNBA Semifinals and came one win away from beating the Las Vegas Aces (who went on to become the league champions) with a severely depleted roster due to injuries, this team’s chemistry was an obvious asset that benefited them down the stretch.
There’s no question that Sophie Cunningham was a key ingredient in Indiana’s locker room chemistry, although she was one of the players who was sidelined for the WNBA postseason because of a season-ending injury. But those who followed the Fever this season could see how well acclimated to the team she was and the role she played in setting the team’s gritty, hard-nosed identity.
Washington Mystics guard Jade Melbourne (5) defends Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) as she looks to pass during the second half of a game Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Fever fell to the Mystics 88-84. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Sophie Cunningham Speaks on WNBA Locker Room Disputes
Of course, every team is going to have some disputes within its locker room throughout the course of a season. And Sophie Cunningham spoke about how the Fever addressed the minor things that came up for them during an October 16 episode of her Show Me Something podcast.
A fan called into the show and asked Cunningham whether any physical altercations in WNBA locker rooms occur that don’t go public.
“Honestly, no. That never happens. Literally, never happens,” Cunningham responded. “And like, it barely happens on the court. I think probably what I did this year is that most that has been done in year. But yeah, that’s just not how we roll on our side.
“I will say, there are a lot of — actually, this team was so good this year, when Indiana. We would just talk [disputes] out. Everyone was very understanding; everyone just wanted to do their best to grow,” she continued. “Sometimes, part of being an elite-level athlete is, you can’t always listen to the tone of people. Because everyone is competing at such a high level, that you just have to listen to the message.”
“But no… There’s never fights in the locker rooms,” she concluded.
In other words, Cunningham is saying the Fever talked any issues out and didn’t take things personally, which is a great way to keep a locker room intact throughout the emotional rollercoaster of a season.
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