Fever Coach Stephanie White Had Strong Words for Sophie Cunningham on Tuesday

Sophie Cunningham has been a revelation for the Indiana Fever in her first season with the team. In 27 games played this year, the 6-foot-1 guard has produced averages of 8.7 points on 48.1% shooting, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals, while also knocking down 1.7 triples per game on a highly efficient 43.9% shooting clip.

Cunningham, who is now in her seventh season in the WNBA, has taken it to another level amid Caitlin Clark’s lingering groin injury. Cunningham has started in the last 10 games without Clark, and the former has significantly increased her production to 12.4 points and 2.6 triples in 29.5 minutes per contest.  

At the same time, however, there’s no denying that Cunningham brings so much more to the table than what shows in the box score.

Fever Coach Stephanie White Heaps Praise on Sophie Cunningham

Fever head coach Stephanie White spoke to reporters ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. When asked to share her thoughts on Cunningham’s impact on the squad, the Indiana shot-caller did not hold back with her praise for the 28-year-old.

"Her energy, her bubbly personality, her competitive fire, I mean, I don't know that I would say anyone on our team outside Sophie and [Clark] would have been spicy before," White said. "But it is. It's something that's contagious. It's good energy, bad energy, competitive fire, physicality — all of those things are contagious.

"She brings a different level of that to this team. It's something that we needed. We knew that we needed it in the offseason and we were able to address with Soph.

"Now that she's back to being as healthy as anybody can be at this point in the year and finding her stride, I think you're seeing it go to another level."