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Since joining the Indiana Fever lineup, Sophie Cunningham has endeared herself to the fanbase in the Hoosier State. From playing hard-nosed defense off the bench to standing up for her star teammate Caitlin Clark, Cunningham has made it easy for Fever supporters to welcome her with open arms.
On Thursday, Cunningham once again brought her hustle to the hardcourt as the Fever took on the Las Vegas Aces. Back on June 22, the Aces defeated the Fever 89-81 at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Cunningham and the rest of the Fever, then, were out to avenge that loss and improve to an above-.500 record as they approach the midway point of their season.
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When all was said and done at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, it was the Fever blowing out the Aces 81-54. Cunningham finished with two points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
In the first 20 minutes of the Aces-Fever game, Cunningham had logged zero points, rebounds, and assists. Still, she was a +5 on the plus-minus column, thanks in part to her effort on the defensive end.
In the second half, Cunningham started to fill her stat sheet as she crashed the boards and assisted on a Lexie Hull corner three midway through the third quarter. A few minutes later, Cunningham got her lone bucket of the game by converting on a layup off a steal from Aces wing Aaliyah Nye.
“I would never speak down upon blue-collar working people”: Sophie Cunningham issues clarification on her comments regarding WNBA expansion
Hours before the Fever squared off against the Aces, Cunningham had to play some defense off the court as well.
Earlier this week, the Fever guard had wondered out loud whether players would be “excited” to play in Detroit or Cleveland, two cities that will be hosting WNBA teams once again towards the end of the decade. Speaking to Fever beat reporter Tony East prior to the Fever-Aces game, Cunningham addressed the backlash against her comments.
"I think people totally misread the situation. I would never speak down upon middle-class, blue-collar working people," Cunningham said. "That’s where I come from. I’m from Missouri."
Cunningham also acknowledged the history of WNBA franchises existing in Detroit and Cleveland, saying that she was "thankful" for what those past teams have contributed to the league.
