Sophie Cunningham Earns New Nickname After Indiana Fever Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 9:53 PM ET

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham got hot against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, and she left with a new nickname to show for it.

Previously dubbed "The Enforcer" for risking a WNBA fine and ejection to stand up for Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Cunningham got her new name after dropping a season-high 17 points in the 78-74 win in Seattle.

Sophie Cunningham Earns New Nickname from Natasha Howard

Instead of originating from her millions of followers, Cunningham's fitting new name "Firecracker" came from her veteran teammate, Natasha Howard.

"We step up for each other," Howard wrote in a post on X shortly after the hard-fought win. "We don’t stress over who night it is we are all there to win, that’s how we repay each other. That’s why I love for the world to see everyone on our bench is good. We enjoy fighting & have each others back."

"Sophie (our firecracker) I’m proud of you," she said. Howard led the team with 21 points in the game.

Between the combative attitude she shows on her new podcast, her fearless nature on the court and her ability to catch fire from beyond the arc, the name suited Cunningham in multiple ways.

Cunningham's Three-Point Shooting Was the Difference in Fever Win

Cunningham notched her season high in efficient fashion against the Storm.

17 points in 33 minutes
5-for-6 on field goals
4-for-5 on three-pointers
3-for-4 on free throws

Besides her, the Fever had nothing going beyond the arc. The rest of the team went a combined 0-for-17 on threes.

this duo was cookin' ♨️

Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard came up huge, combining for 38 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/C4c9oRXEDS
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 3, 2025

Her points on the scoreboard were not the only way Cunningham contributed to the offensive effort.

Indiana center Aliyah Boston expressed that many of her 16 points came on good looks because the "Firecracker" was drawing attention on the perimeter.

One game it may be her physical play. One game it may be her defense. One game it may be her shooting — or all of them at once. No matter how it takes form, every team would love to have a "Firecracker" in the mold of Cunningham.

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

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