The Indiana Fever secured a dominant 92-70 victory over the Chicago Sky on August 9, completing a flawless 4-0 sweep in their season series, this time without Caitlin Clark on the court as Sophie Cunningham takes over the role of star.
The 23-year-old’s absence marked her tenth consecutive game sidelined, a stretch during which the Fever have gone 6-4 as head coach, Stephanie White, has been forced to rapidly adjust the team’s backcourt strategy.
Rising to the challenge was Sophie, who stepped into the starting point guard role and provided the stability the team desperately needed in a vital run ahead of the start of the WNBA Playoffs.
The 28-year-old delivered a strong performance with 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 28 minutes, matching her third-best scoring output of the season and recording back-to-back games with at least 16 points.
“That’s a big dub baby. Point God,” Cunningham said after the game, highlighting her supreme confidence when it comes to orchestrating the offense and cementing her status as the Fever‘s new on-court leader.
The 2019 WNBA Draft saw Cunningham selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Mercury, where she spent six seasons refining her skills until her breakout season arrived in 2022.
She made 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and shooting 40% from beyond the arc on 6.3 attempts per game and established herself in the league before landing with the Fever ahead of the 2025 season.
There she is posting career-best efficiency with a 66.8 true shooting percentage and a 63 effective field goal percentage whilst averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 steal per game.
It backs up the talent that everyone knew she had since college, where Cunningham started all four years at Missouri from 2015 to 2019, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Who do the Fever play next as Cunningham steps up for Indiana?
The Fever‘s backcourt has faced a challenging stretch, with injuries taking a heavy toll as Clark remains sidelined due to a right groin injury sustained in mid-July, whilst Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald have also suffered season-ending injuries.
Colson, a 36-year-old veteran, ruptured her left ACL, and McDonald broke a bone in her right foot during a loss to the Mercury. Clark shared an update announcing their season ends on her Instagram Story, expressing her support for her injured teammates.
“Love you guys,” Clark posted, accompanied by a black heart emoji. With the backcourt depleted, Cunningham‘s emergence as the Fever‘s new “point god” represents a crucial silver lining as Indiana fights to maintain momentum and compete effectively down the stretch.
The Indiana Fever‘s next game against the Minnesota Lynx is scheduled for August 13, 2025. The game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tip-off is from 19:00 ET/16:00 PT and fans can watch via ESPN and the WNBA League Pass.
Read the full article here
