Why Does Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham Wear Long Sleeves on the Court?
The team continues to chase their second WNBA championship after going home with the trophy in 2012.
Updated July 16 2025, 10:10 a.m. ET
The Indiana Fever made a statement during the first half of the 2025 WNBA season. While struggling to keep a positive record over the course of the summer, the team quickly climbed the WNBA standings in their hope of advancing to the next stage. Sophie Cunningham is one of the reasons the team had a good chance of making it to the playoffs as of July 2025. The player from Columbia, Mo., had an average of six points up until that point in the schedule.
Perceptive fans of the sport might have noticed a unique wardrobe choice that makes Sophie stand out from other Indiana Fever players. The athlete wears a wide variety of compression sleeves during her games. Why does Sophie Cunningham wear long sleeves when she's on the court? Here's what we know about the stylish sleeves and the benefits they could provide to athletes.
Why does Sophie Cunningham wear long sleeves when playing basketball?
According to iM Sports Blog, compression sleeves are designed to squeeze blood vessels, making it easier for oxygenated blood to reach compressed muscles. The intention of this process is to lower an athlete's heart rate, giving them the opportunity to deliver a better performance. While Sophie Cunningham hasn't explicitly stated why she wears compression sleeves, another reason could be to protect her arm from minor injuries such as scratches and bruises.
All WNBA teams play around 40 games during the regular season, meaning that the stars of the sport need to remain healthy throughout the whole summer. A team can play up to three times in the same week. Wearing compression sleeves could certainly help Sophie Cunningham and other athletes to stay in the best shape possible by the time the regular season comes to a close. That's not even taking into account the extra effort made by the eight lucky teams who make it to the playoffs.
How can Sophie Cunnningham get to the 2025 WNBA Finals?
The Indiana Fever started out the 2025 season looking to win their first championship in thirteen years. Before the team can even dream about fighting for the title at the 2025 WNBA finals, the group has to be in the Top 8 of the WNBA standings by the time the regular season comes to a close, according to ESPN.
The last Indiana Fever game of the regular season is scheduled to take place on Sept. 9. The team will face the Minnesota Lynx, setting up a rematch after the 2025 Commissioner's Cup final.
As of June 2025, the Indiana Fever still had an opportunity to advance to the playoffs thanks to an impressive lineup that included Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Sophie Cunningham. The 2025 WNBA All-Star game marks the halfway point of the regular season.
By the time Indiana hosted the massive event, the Fever still had a chance of making it to the next stage of the calendar. The Indiana Fever was a part of the WNBA playoffs in 2024 after missing the event in 2023.