Sophie Cunningham’s nightmare outing sparks backlash after Fever loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Indiana Fever had several opportunities to extend their winning streak Thursday night, but they could not find enough scoring support for Kelsey Mitchell when it mattered most.
Mitchell poured in 37 points, yet Indiana suffered a 91-85 road loss to the Dallas Wings. Arike Ogunbowale countered with a season-high 35 points for Dallas, while Awak Kuier controlled the paint with seven blocks, the most by any WNBA player in a game this season and a Wings franchise record.
Caitlin Clark also endured a difficult shooting night, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Clark contributed nine assists, but the Fever needed another scorer to help Mitchell carry the offensive load.
Sophie Cunningham never became that player. Cunningham went scoreless in 15 minutes, missing all four of her attempts from beyond the arc. She also finished without a rebound, assist, steal or block, producing a stat line that immediately became a major talking point among Fever fans.
Fever fans unload after Cunningham’s scoreless performanceThe reaction on social media was swift and unforgiving. One fan compared Cunningham’s night to Tony Snell’s infamous scoreless performance, while another asked whether her empty stat line was actually real. Several others questioned why Indiana put the ball in Cunningham’s hands during important offensive possessions late in the game.
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— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 21, 2026Cunningham’s performance looked especially glaring because of the narrow final margin. Mitchell made 15 free throws and scored more than 43% of Indiana’s points, but the Fever still finished six points short.
Even one typical Cunningham 3-pointer could have changed the complexion of the closing minutes.
One bad night does not erase Cunningham’s valueThe criticism may be understandable in the immediate aftermath of a disappointing loss, but Cunningham’s season numbers provide important context. She entered the matchup as one of the WNBA’s most accurate perimeter shooters, making 44.4% of her 3-point attempts. Cunningham also was averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 47.4% overall.
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Those numbers show why Indiana continued trusting her despite the difficult night. Cunningham does not need a high volume of touches to influence games. Her ability to stretch the floor creates additional driving space for Clark and Mitchell, while her physical defense and energy frequently provide value that does not appear in the scoring column.
Thursday was unquestionably a poor performance, but it also was an unusual one for a player who has been dependable from outside throughout the season. The loss dropped Indiana to 24-13 and ended its five-game winning streak. Cunningham will have an immediate opportunity to respond when the Fever face the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
One scoreless night brought plenty of backlash. A strong performance against one of the league’s top teams could quiet it just as quickly.
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