The Indiana Fever are absolutely on fire, dude, putting up ridiculous numbers on the court all while dealing with a non-stop circus of off-court drama. Sophie Cunningham just wants to talk basketball, but her team’s insane 9-3 record since July 1 speaks way louder than any media firestorm.
The Main Thing Is Getting Lost
Dude, Sophie Cunningham walked into practice the other day just wanting to talk hoops, but no dice. The WNBA media, according to her, keeps circling back to *her belief* about trans women in sports, a debate she says started back in February with an ESPN interview. She basically told the media to find better stories, saying, “There’s just so much distraction… 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… But I also think we’ve got to keep the main thing, the main thing.” It’s gotta be frustrating to constantly dodge that stuff when you’re trying to win games.
Unstoppable On The Court
But here’s the kicker: with all that noise, nobody in the league is playing better basketball than the Fever. They’ve ripped off a 9-3 record since July 1, including a ridiculous 5-2 on two recent road trips. We’re talking about beating the defending league champ Las Vegas Aces by 16 AND 34 points on their first Western swing! That’s not just winning; that’s straight up making a statement, especially after the Aces kicked them out of the conference semifinals last year when they were banged up. This team even hit a five-game winning streak, which is tied for fourth all-time for the franchise, before that tight 108-100 loss to Minnesota on Sunday.
And check this: they’re averaging 96.5 points a game, on pace to absolutely shatter the Phoenix Mercury’s old single-season league record of 93.9 from 2010. All-Star guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, plus All-Star center Aliyah Boston, are all having career-best seasons. Cunningham even thinks all three should be MVP candidates, and she’s not slouching either, shooting career bests of 48.2% from the field and 45.2% on 3-pointers.
Locking Down The Locker Room
So, how are they doing it with all the distractions? Cunningham says it’s all about experience and protecting the locker room. She’s seen it before, playing with legends like Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, saying that “causes a lot of buzz.” But here in Indiana? “100 times more,” she says. After last year’s focus on Clark’s injuries and Cunningham’s own season-ending knee injury, and even a May sideline spat between Clark and coach Stephanie White, they’re used to it. She said, “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.” That’s the secret sauce, man.
Now, the Aces are rolling into Indianapolis on Thursday, and the Fever can sweep the season series. It’s not just a game; it’s a chance to extend that 100-point game record to seven and keep proving that all the outside noise means squat when they step on the court. Can they do it? You bet they can.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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