Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Provides 'Special' Outlook for Indiana

The Indiana Fever made a few strong moves during the WNBA to surround superstar guard Caitlin Clark with more talent. Arguably the biggest move was the trade to acquire from the Phoenix Mercury.

Cunningham is expected to provide Clark with a dynamic running mate who can score the ball and take some ball-handling pressure off of her shoulders.

On Thursday night, Cunningham made her season debut for the Fever after missing the team's first two games due to an ankle injury. She scored nine points on 3-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-4 from the three-point line, to go along with six rebounds, three assists, and a block in 20 minutes.

That first game showed flashes of the talent that Cunningham brings to Indiana. She will have a huge opportunity to be a major difference maker for the franchise.

Read more: Caitlin Clark's Reaction to Opponent in Fever-Dream Has Caught Attention

Following her debut, Cunningham spoke out with a "special" outlook for the Fever. Indiana has been viewed as a potential WNBA Finals contender, and that is exactly what the 28-year-old seems to feel about the team.

"It felt good," Cunningham said about her debut. "I think we have something special going on here. We have a lot to figure out, but at the end of the day, we have really good people, and we're going to be a pretty good squad."

Cunningham's teammate, Lexie Hull, spoke out about the impact she brought to the court in her first regular season game with the team.

"She brings a level of energy that is huge, and I think not playing in a couple games, not getting a chance to practice fully before getting back out there, I was really proud of her for the energy that she brought," Hull said. "She made some big plays down the stretch, getting her hands on, getting steals and getting deflections, and we really needed her tonight."

Read more: Fever Star Caitlin Clark Fires Off Strong Message at WNBA Officials

During the 2024 WNBA season with the Mercury, Cunningham played in 40 games and made 21 starts. She averaged 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, two assists, and a steal per game. Back in 2023, she averaged 11.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

At this point, the Fever are 2-1. It's way too early to have a good feel for what they are capable of doing, but the early signs look good.

Next up for Indiana will be a Saturday afternoon matchup and a big test at home against the defending champion New York Liberty at 1 p.m. ET.

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