Sophie Cunningham’s Interaction with Indiana Fever Coach Draws Attention

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 1:16 AM ET

The Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces are in the middle of an intense WNBA semifinal playoff series, with the Aces leading 2-1 heading into Sunday's Game 4 in Indianapolis.

The Fever dropped Game 3 at home on Friday 84-72, leaving them one loss away from elimination in the best-of-five series.

A major storyline of the Fever's 2025 season has been injuries, highlighted by the list of six players on the injury report heading into Game 4 against Las Vegas.

Five of them have season-ending injuries, including star guards Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark. The group has remained spirited and engaged, calling themselves the "bench mob."

Cunningham found herself under the microscope after the Game 3 loss when a video went around social media showing an interaction she had on the bench with Indiana assistant coach Briann January.

@mommasheetz
#LetsGo #IndianaFever #CaitlynClark #SophiaCunningham #okayokay #WNBAPlayoffs25 #Game3Semifinals
♬ original sound - Rhonda

At the end of the clip, fans noticed Cunningham waving away January, a beloved former Fever player who has been linked to open WNBA head coaching positions this week.

The assistant coach was trying to keep Cunningham and Clark off the bench while they asked for a replay review for a hard foul by Aces forward NaLyssa Smith on Fever star Kelsey Mitchell with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter.

"The asst coach telling them to chill and they're being dismissive???" said one of the top comments on the original post on TikTok.

"The coaches have to take time and focus away from the team on the court to tell them to act right," pointed out another TikTok comment.

Acting like this to ur COACH?!?!!!!?!! https://t.co/OyQwVuT2Xr
— (@theonenonlyann) September 28, 2025

"It’s the simple fact that her coaching staff are trying to help her," a fan replied to the same video on X.

Per WNBA rules, players can be given technical fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct from the bench. It happened to their Fever teammate Lexie Hull this season.

Other X users said Cunningham showed "no decorum" and called the gesture "disrespectful" to her assistant coach, who won a WNBA championship with Indiana in 2012.

waving off the assistant coaches ?? https://t.co/RWki1blJw1 pic.twitter.com/3pmr05EB0h
— tyler (@nursetyler602) September 28, 2025

Before her injury, Cunningham averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this season and shot 43.2 percent from three.

The "bench mob" will be back in the spotlight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 4, which tips off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be televised nationally on ABC.

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

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