The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky 92-70 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Now, the team will look for another victory this Tuesday, August 12, against Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings (8-23).
Improving their record to 18-14, the Fever rebounded from their two consecutive losses. However, it was Sophie Cunningham who shone on the court and made her presence felt.
The 28-year-old took on the role of starting point guard and added 16 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 28 minutes of action, tying her third-best result of the season.
The new nickname in Indiana
After the game, Aliyah Boston spoke to the press and shared her analysis of the game. However, what caught everyone’s attention was Sophie’s new nickname.
I think our ability to make adjustments on the fly, think about stuff right before the game, and be able to play in that way, and then have people play different positions like point guard Soph… I think that was just pretty big for us.
Thus, “point guard Soph” joins the list of nicknames that Indiana players have given each other. And the 28-year-old star has earned several of them.
For example, in the victory over the Seattle Storm, Natasha Howard referred to Cunningham as “Firecracker.” When she defended Caitlin Clark and risked a fine and ejection against the Connecticut Sun, she was nicknamed “The Enforcer.” She even called herself “Point God” after one of her three-pointers against the Sky.
Meanwhile, the team is looking to recover from Clark‘s absence, but neither she nor the team has officially announced her return to the court. In addition, along the way, they also lost Sydney Colson, who tore her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and Aari McDonald, who fractured a bone in her right foot, both of whom are out for the rest of the season.
This did not escape Boston, who ended her message by stating that the team’s strength was reflected on Saturday: “I feel like our whole season has been about being resilient and figuring out how to be consistent through all of that.”
The Indiana Fever are tied with the Las Vegas Aces for the fifth-best record in the league at 18-14, but they hope to continue adding wins. Now, ahead of their matchup against the Wings, who are second-to-last in the standings, they will look to improve their home record at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Will Cunningham get a new nickname against Dallas?
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