Fever's Sophie Cunningham Declares New Nickname After Big Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 12:42 AM ET

The Indiana Fever closed a four-game season series against Chicago with a 92-70 win on Saturday, completing a 4-0 sweep, this time without Caitlin Clark.

It was Clark’s 10th straight absence, a run that had seen the Fever go 5-4 over the previous nine and forced coach Stephanie White to rewire her perimeter rotation on the fly.

With two reserve guards (Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald) already out for the season, Indiana turned to Sophie Cunningham as the starting point guard and got exactly the steadiness they needed.

In 28 minutes of action, Cunningham put up 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal, tying her third-highest point total of the season and her second consecutive outing of at least 16 points.

As the team funneled into the tunnel postgame, Cunningham grinned into a camera, saying, "That’s a big dub baby. Point God," a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to her night steering the offense.

"That's a big dub, baby."

walk off the court with the crew after taking down the Sky pic.twitter.com/AE08ZWKnFM
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 10, 2025

Sophie Cunningham: From Mizzou Star to Fever Fan Favorite

A four‑year starter at Missouri (2015–2019), Cunningham averaged 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists, earning three First‑Team All‑SEC selections and Third‑Team AP/USBWA All‑America as a senior.

Selected No. 13 overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft, she spent her first six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, breaking out in 2022 with 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 40% 3‑point shooting on 6.3 attempts per game.

Traded to the Fever before the 2025 season, Cunningham was brought in to add shooting and size at the guard spot as well as defensive versatility, grit and sound veteran presence.

So far, it's worked.

2025 has brought career‑high efficiency (66.8 TS%, 63 EFG%) and steady usage (12.6% USG), averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game while flirting with 43.9% shooting from three and 48.1% from the field, both career-highs.

Most importantly, Cunningham has stepped into a larger role with Clark sidelined and help keep the Fever above .500.

How Indiana Has Held up Without Caitlin Clark

Entering Saturday, Indiana was 5-4 over its last nine without Clark; the rout of Chicago moved them to 6-4 in her 10‑game absence.

Over the course of the season, the Fever have gone 10-9 in games without Clark, sporting a positive record even without their franchise star.

The offense has run more through Aliyah Boston, with Kelsey Mitchell carrying late‑clock creation and wings like Cunningham and Lexie Hull supplying additional support.

That’s the kind of depth‑driven stability that travels into September.

If Clark remains out short‑term, expect Indiana's new "Point God" to continue to steer the ship.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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