Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham dropped a truth bomb after her stellar preseason debut against the Washington Mystics. Cunningham was a quality role player with the Phoenix Mercury for six years before being acquired by the Fever via trade this offseason. The franchise is looking to take that good-to-great step in superstar point guard Caitlin Clark's second year in the WNBA. While the 2024 Rookie of the Year did not play on Saturday as she nurses a leg injury, the Fever beat the Mystics 79-74.

In a postgame interview with WNBA Sara Jane Gamelli, Cunningham gave a confident statement on the direction of her new team. The 28-year-old led Indiana with 21 points and eight rebounds and was a +16 when she was on the floor.

“We are all competitors, and we are here to win. It's a fresh start for a lot of people. New era for a lot of people. They have great people that they kept from last year who are young–and then you have a lot of championship experience are brought here. Just a combination is super smart. Now you have to put it together.”

The Indiana Fever look like a legit championship contender in 2025

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Even with Clark at 23, the Fever's championship window seems wide open. The front office was aggressive this offseason, putting together a terrific supporting cast around its star. In addition to Cunningham, some other new players include six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner, former WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard, and two-time champion Sydney Colson. This roster also returns key players from last year, including two-time All-Star Aliyah Boston. This is now one of the deepest teams in the league with the star power to beat anyone.

Overall, Cunningham's comments are a positive sign that this new group is already building chemistry. There might be some growing pains like last season, but the Fever should be expected to win at least a playoff round in 2025. Of course, plenty of teams will stand in their way. There's the defending champion New York Liberty, the close-to-dynastic Las Vegas Aces, and several other contenders. Based on their preseason expectations, several franchises will be severely disappointed with what happens in 2025.

However, barring injury, it's tough to envision a scenario in which the Fever are not significantly better than they were in 2024. As long as this franchise continues to trend in the right direction, winning at least one championship in the Caitlin Clark era is inevitable.