INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham entered Wednesday’s practice focused solely on basketball, but recent controversies continued to shadow her. Cunningham’s stance against trans women participating in women’s sports has stirred discussions beyond the court.
Although she refrained from delving into the issue during practice, the former Missouri standout shared insights on a conversation with Cheryl Reeve, the league’s most successful coach. Cunningham also urged the media to spotlight stories beyond controversies. “There’s just so much distraction,” she remarked, referencing an ESPN interview from February that rekindled the debate. “I think the WNBA media, all we ever do is cover everything except basketball. It’s like, what are we doing? There’s so much, like you can talk about other things. I think those are great stories. I think it shows fans, you know, who people are outside of the court. But I also think we’ve got to keep the main thing, the main thing.”
Avoiding the Traps
Despite external pressures, the Fever has excelled on the court. Since July 1, Indiana boasts a 9-3 record, including a strong 5-2 showing on recent away games, which featured decisive wins against Las Vegas, the defending champions. The Fever seeks to complete a season sweep against the Aces in their only visit to Indianapolis this season. Notably, Las Vegas ousted Indiana from last year’s conference semifinals.
The team’s five-game winning streak, which ended with a 108-100 defeat at Minnesota, tied the fourth-longest in franchise history. On Thursday, Indiana aims to extend its record for consecutive games scoring 100 points or more to seven.
Not Enough?
Indiana’s scoring prowess, averaging 96.5 points per game, is set to surpass the Phoenix Mercury’s 2010 record of 93.9 points. All-Star guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, along with All-Star center Aliyah Boston, are having standout seasons. Cunningham believes they are MVP contenders, as she herself achieves career-high shooting percentages of 48.2% from the field and 45.2% from three-point range.
The secret to their success lies in experience. Cunningham reflected, “My first six years (in the WNBA), I was with Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner and so that causes a lot of buzz on your team as well and so you just have to protect the locker room.” She continued, “And then you come here and it was like 100 times more. So last year, you know, I think we had a lot of preparation for what distractions and outside forces could do to a locker room. So this year, we’re used to it. We’re tight in the locker room. We try to protect those walls like no other. We try to protect each other like no other.”
Challenging Course
Last year’s discussions centered on a new collective bargaining agreement and Clark’s role in advocating for changes. However, Indiana was more concerned with daily updates on Clark’s injuries and Cunningham’s season-ending knee injury. This season, a May incident involving Clark and coach Stephanie White sparked speculation about White’s future. Cunningham’s viral video and an aggressive play involving Alyssa Thomas and Clark also drew attention, prompting congressional inquiry into the league’s handling of player safety.
Recently, rallies for and against Cunningham’s views have taken center stage at games, leading to her conversation with Reeve. “She just came up and, you know I respect her for coming up in person because I think a lot of people behind the screens love that type of thing,” Cunningham said, mimicking typing. “She (Reeve) had stories about her point of view, and I had stories about my point of view, and we left with love and respect, and I think that’s what it’s all about.”
Staying Together
Cunningham’s rising profile potentially allows Clark more time to refine her skills away from the spotlight. Coach White believes the challenges have strengthened the Fever’s unity and focus on the court. “Any time we have an opportunity to navigate challenges together, you know, it reveals I think the character of who you are, and I think our group continues to stay together, continues to pull together,” White said, shortly before being named July’s Coach of the Month. “When you have opportunities to be on the road for as long as we were last week, that also helps. I think we just have a really good group when it comes to really understanding one another and understanding the situation we’re in.”
Even amidst intense scrutiny, Cunningham remains committed to the game. “I just think when you have this platform and everything you do is magnified by 10,000, you kind of get used to it,” she said. “So this team, everywhere we go, everywhere we play it’s their Super Bowl. It’s nothing new for us and when you join this team, it’s something you have to expect and something you have to know going forward — like all eyes are on you 24-7.” She concluded, “I want to get back to basketball. It’s always been about basketball.”
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