It was certainly less than hospitable for the Indiana Fever when they traveled to the Barclays Center. A packed, passionate crowd awaited them, and things got even more intense as the Fever were leading till the third quarter. The crowd was firmly behind their team, pushing them to make a comeback, and they did, going on a  19-8 run over 10 minutes between the third and fourth quarters, and the Fever went from leading, 67-60, to trailing by double digits.

That crowd was the 6th man for the Liberty, and they were particularly harsh on the Fever star, Sophie Cunningham. When the arena announcer introduced her in the starting lineup, a wave of loud boos echoed through the crowd of 17,365. That did not stop there, as Cunningham was heckled throughout the game. There is no personal history between Cunningham and the Liberty, but the sheer competitiveness of the game and Cunningham’s combative history led to the crowd being hostile towards the Fever guard. 

Cunningham was undeterred. She did not let the crowd get into her head and calmly dropped 5 three-pointers out of the eight she attempted. Despite the result not falling their way, Cunningham remains confident as ever. She dropped another controversial TikTok just a day after getting fined for her previous one that playfully targeted the referees. 

In this one, she is going after the Liberty fans who booed her the previous night. Cunningham lip-synced lyrics from Lizzo’s “Yitty In Yo T—ys” hip track, which said, “I woke up to b****** who was praying on my downfall. Whoever they was prayin to ain’t listen to them at all.”  She further captioned the post with “so unbothered it’s probably not healthy #fyp”

Nobody seems to truly understand the WNBA’s penalty playbook, if it even exists. Sophie Cunningham isn’t losing sleep over it. After all, she shrugged off a $500 fine for mocking referees on TikTok, and there’s a sense she’s ready to take another hit if the situation calls for it. As for her latest run-in, where she became the target of fan jeers instead, don’t expect the league office to step in. The WNBA tends to reserve its disciplinary firepower for dust-ups with officials, not wars of words with the crowd.

But here’s the twist: if the Indiana Fever and Cunningham lock horns with the referees again, she’ll speak her mind, fines be damned. That’s who she is: a competitor with zero fear of crossing the line if it means standing up for her team. Cunningham’s relentless edge has defined her season. She didn’t hesitate to set off a brawl against the Connecticut Sun, all in the name of backing up Caitlin Clark. The league handed her a $400 fine, but for Cunningham, that’s just the cost of bringing heat to the court.  Her unapologetic fire is fueling her best basketball yet, stepping up in the spotlight with Clark sidelined and proving she thrives in chaos.

Sophie Cunningham Stepping Up In Absence Of Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Fever were busy in the offseason. They brought in veterans and youngsters alike to bolster this squad with balance. It was designed for a certain style of play, and they have shown flashes of that at times this season. Sophie Cunningham came with experience in Phoenix and the hope of a bigger role in Indiana’s future. 

She had said that the Fever was a perfect fit for her skill set. “This is just a new style, and this is the style that I thrive in. When you have people who can shoot the ball, who move the ball, who are run and gunners, and share the ball, this is the type of offense that I want to be in. I’m just stoked.”

While the Fever haven’t completely mirrored that fast-paced run-and-gun style of basketball, Cunningham has slowly found her role. In the recent games, she has shown the potential to do even better. After averaging 5 points per game for the first 14 games, she has flipped the switch. In the last five games, she has scored in double digits in each and averaged 13.4 points per game. She has sneaked in an assist and a steal per game while chipping in with 5 rebounds per game.  

More importantly, she has brought the outside shooting to this Fever side in Clark’s grey stretch and absence. In the last five games, Cunningham has scored 3 from beyond the arc on average, stretching the opponent’s defense and providing a reliable outlet to kick out the ball from the paint. 

After 3 double-digit games, she was awarded 2 starts from Stephanie White, and she has continued her form with the added responsibility. She has been incredibly efficient as well, shooting at 61% from the field and the same from beyond the arc. Why the similarity? Because Cunningham is almost shooting only threes, as 70% of her shots have been from the three-point line. 

In the five games, the Fever have gone 3-2, with both losses coming at the hands of the Liberty. But Cunningham’s impact has been undeniable, she’s stepped up big, filling the void left by Clark’s absence and even covering for Clark’s off nights. This momentum is a major boost for the Fever, especially since Clark’s return isn’t on the immediate horizon. With Cunningham’s veteran savvy and deadly outside shooting perfectly aligning with Stephanie White’s vision, the team is counting on her to keep improving as they look to bounce back from their two-game loss streak against the Las Vegas Aces.