Out of the Wilderness: Sophie Cunningham, Kelcey Mitchell and the return of the Indiana Fever (Revisited)

This episode continues our Thriving in the Wilderness Series by asking what do we learn in the wilderness and how do we carry it forward as we move into a restored life. To do so, we revisit episode #10, originally aired in October 2025, that told the story of the Indiana Fever navigating injuries, loss, and constant change.

With a renewed perspective, as the Indiana Fever returns for the 2026 WNBA basketball season, this episode asks us to consider what we are learning during times of wilderness and do we use the values that emerge to sustain us as we move forward in life. Sophie Cunningham expressed these values in an interview with ESPN, "I am so grateful. I know I'm coming off a pretty big knee injury, and so it was never about the money. It was just about the years, because I wanted to be with them. God forbid, a girl loves her teammates." https://www.espn_sophie-cunningham-grateful-return-fever

Key Themes

• Support, Trust, and Community: Building genuine connection in the face of chaos
• Belief in the Transcendent: The power of "we all we got, we all we need"
• Meaning and Purpose: Feeling valued and valuable in community
• Adaptability and Flexibility: Bending without breaking when circumstances change
• Future Orientation: Keep the main thing, the main thing.

About the Indiana Fever's 2025 Season

• “My Love Letter” to the Fever, Ariel Powers
• Inside the Indiana Fever's roller-coaster 2025 WNBA season - ESPN
• Indiana Fever, without Caitlin Clark and others, remains resilient - The Washington Post
• The Fever are surviving the injury bug thanks to resilience and a whole lot of Kelsey Mitchell - Swish Appeal
• How the Indiana Fever adjust to season-ending injuries - ESPN

About the Host

Ellen Corcella is an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the author of Walk with Me: A Journey through the Landscape of Trauma. Through the Faith & Resilience Podcast, Ellen explores the complexity of our lives while illuminating paths towards healing and hope—examining the sacred values that anchor us to who we are and who we can be despite the turbulence, trauma, and anxiety of our contemporary lives.

"Walk with Me: A Journey through the Landscape of Trauma" by Ellen Corcella

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/walk_with_me_ellen_corcella
• BookBaby: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/walk-with-me2

Connect with Ellen Corcella

• Website: www.ellencorcella.com
• Sign up for her Newsletter: www.ellencorcella.com
• Email: mailto:[e-mail]
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ellencorcella
• Helpful Resources: ellencorcella.com/help-ptsd-grief-trauma-suicide

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#Resilience #Faith #IndianaFever #WNBA #KelseyMitchell #CaitlinClark #sophie_cunningham #2026WNBASeason #EllenCorcella 

Creators and Guests

Host

Ellen Corcella

Ellen writes and speaks about the intricate relationships between faith, spirit, trauma, and resilience.

LR

Producer

Loren Richmond Jr.

What is Faith and Resilience with Ellen Corcella?

Ellen writes and speaks about the intricate relationships between faith, spirit, trauma, and resilience. Aiming to unearth pathways for deeper faith integration and heightened resilience in times of adversity, she urges us to embody love, mercy, courage, hospitality.