Indiana Fever dealt a tough blow to the Las Vegas Aces after taking Game 1 of the Semifinals 89-73.
Of course, the celebrations were not long in coming, but prior to the win, Stephanie White’s coaching wasn’t the only thing guiding the Fever in the matchup.
Cunningham takes on a new role in Indiana
When the team’s star player, Caitlin Clark, had to put her second year in the WNBA and Fever on hold due to her groin injury before the All-Star Game, she quickly positioned herself as one of the team’s leading voices, earning her the nickname “Coach Clark“.
Now, who seems to be following in her footsteps is her teammate and vocal leader, Sophie Cunningham. The 29-year-old point guard suffered a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in her right knee in August in a game against the Connecticut Sun, ending her season. Since that time, Sophie has encouraged her teammates from off the court, but on Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena, she also lent her advice.
In fact, on her official Instagram account, Cunningham has shared with her followers a video of her and CC directing her teammates and celebrating their achievements in the victory over the Aces. And the detail that didn’t go unnoticed was the word “COACH” accompanying their names.
Of course, neither of the two stars have been named as part of the Fever coaching staff, they simply continue to bring their game to the team, at least from off the court, demonstrating their commitment to Indiana.
Meanwhile, the Aces shined thanks to Jackie Young‘s 19 points, and the 16 points of the newly named WNBA MVP for the fourth time, A’ja Wilson. However, they could not stop the Fever.
Kelsey Mitchell, scoring 34 points in 34 minutes of action, got all the looks. Odyssey Sims and Natasha Howard were the other two players to score in double digits with 17 and 12 points respectively.
Now, the ‘Coaches’ and Fever wait to play Game 2 next Tuesday, September 23, again at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.
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