The Indiana Fever secured their fifth consecutive victory by defeating the Seattle Storm 78-74. Fortunately, the team has managed to cope without Caitlin Clark, who had to watch the game from the bench for the seventh consecutive time.
However, it was her teammate, Sophie Cunningham, who shone. The 28-year-old guard scored 17 points, a season high, earning her a new nickname.
Natasha Howard, the one responsible for Sophie’s new name
The nickname “The Enforcer,” given to her after defending Caitlin and risking a fine and ejection for doing so, seems to be a thing of the past.
After her incredible performance, in which she also added four three-pointers, five rebounds, and two assists in 33 minutes of action, it was enough for her teammate, Natasha Howard, to give her a new nickname: “Firecracker.”
On X, the Indiana Fever’s official account shared that, during the game, the two had combined for 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in Seattle. “This duo was cookin‘,” they wrote, alongside a video showing the players’ performance during the game.
In response, shortly after the victory, Natasha wrote: “We step up for each other. We don’t stress over who’s on tonight, we’re all there to win, that’s how we repay each other. That’s why I love for the world to see that everyone on our bench is good. We enjoy fighting and have each other’s backs. Sophie (our firecracker), I’m proud of you.”
With 21 points, Howard led the team and was the game’s top scorer. She also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 32 minutes.
Indiana without Clark’s fever
Although it wasn’t easy at first and the losses were felt, the team seems to have found a way to overcome Caitlin’s absence.
Their five consecutive wins after two straight losses is a clear sign that things are improving. However, her absence has been painful for the Fever, and it is still unknown when Caitlin will return to the court.
Stephanie White stated that they still do not know CC’s recovery timeline, so they will continue to be cautious and she will only return when she is truly in optimal condition.
For this reason, it is very likely that Clark will miss Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.
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