Cunningham responds to benching with 11 points as Fever rout Lynx
The short version
- Cunningham scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers in the Fever's 96-77 win over the Lynx.
- She had played a season-low 7:09 and scored zero points against Washington two days earlier.
- Coach Stephanie White praised her defensive activity and communication.
- The Fever finish the regular season Thursday at Minnesota; the first round opens Sunday.
Sophie Cunningham scored 11 points in Indiana's 96-77 win over Minnesota, days after playing a season-low seven minutes against Washington.
Sophie Cunningham answered a difficult outing against Washington with a strong performance Tuesday, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting as the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 96-77. She hit three 3-pointers in just over 29 minutes of play and posted a plus-17 rating, adding two assists.
Two days earlier, Cunningham had been held out for the entire second and third quarters against the Mystics, finishing scoreless in a season-low 7:09 of playing time. She had been averaging more than 22 minutes per game through her first 41 appearances.
Coach Stephanie White praised Cunningham's response, citing her defensive activity, aggressiveness and communication. White said the team made a deliberate effort to find Cunningham with extra passing when she was open, and she converted her chances.
Cunningham said she chose to respond to the benching with self-evaluation rather than frustration. She noted her responsibilities on defense, communication and energy, and said she wanted to handle the situation professionally.
The performance also snapped a shooting slump. It was Cunningham's highest scoring output since Aug. 18 at Toronto, and her shooting percentages from the field and from 3 were her best in five games. Indiana closes the regular season Thursday at Minnesota, with the playoffs set to begin Sunday.