With the Indiana Fever eyeing their first-round playoff matchup against the reigning-champion Las Vegas Aces, veteran guard Sophie Cunningham is changing gears from trying to find her offense to acknowledging what she brings to the court out on the floor.
Cunningham was in the midst of a cold stretch on offense heading into the playoffs.
Sophie Cunningham’s numbers took a turn for the worse in the last five regular season contests, where she scored only 3.4 points per game on 30% shooting and 23.5% shooting from three-point range.
That is countered by her impressive overall numbers through all 43 games, where she averaged 7.9 points per game on a 46% clip from the floor and 41.9% shooting from three.
WNBA star discussed how she copes with the frustrating feeling of not getting enough touches or those low-volume shooting nights on her No Hesitation podcast with Drew Hanlen:
Control the Controllables – Maintaining a “locked-in” mindset by focusing on things that can’t be scored on: voice communication, defensive positioning, deflections, rebounding.
Utilizing rotation when needed (in limited minutes, under 20 per game) by tracking as a function of high-effort plays, not total points.
Providing an emotional fix and vocal leader for Indiana’s anchor five on both sides of the court.
Why Cunningham’s Role Matters Against Las Vegas
Of course, the headlines will be about Clark and Mitchell on the offensive end, but the ability to counter Las Vegas’ deep team will be a challenge for Indiana.
The Fever will need the floor-stretching shooting of Cunningham and her physical defense.
Through defensive effort and vocal identity, Cunningham seeks to give the stability necessary in high-leverage situations playoff game when perimeter scoring may go cold. Series Game 1 scheduled for Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
