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'People can't defend that': Sophie Cunningham issues warning to WNBA

The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions · Matt Hladik · 2026-08-19T21:37:01+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Sophie Cunningham can’t help but be impressed by the play of the Indiana Fever’s trio of stars, and her comments Tuesday night should serve as a warning for the rest of the league. The Fever are rolling, winners of 12 of their last 15 games and 15 of their last 20. This surge has made them the top team in the Eastern Conference and propelled them to the third-best record (24-12) in the WNBA. Indiana is also the league’s highest-scoring team at 96.4 ppg, thanks in large part to star guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell and standout forward Aliyah Boston. Following Tuesday’s 101-95 win over the expansion Toronto Tempo, Cunningham sang her teammates’ praises. Bad news for the W Cunningham called the trio “a hell of a Big 3,” adding that when they’re in a groove, no one can slow them down. “When those three are clicking and their chemistry and their rhythm on the court is at an all-time high, which it has been, people cannot defend that,” Cunningham said. “I’m not kidding. No one can defend Kelsey. When C’s on, no one can defend her. And really, no one can really defend AB.” Cunningham has a point. Indiana averages almost four points per game more than the second-highest scoring team, and has scored 100 or more points in eight of their last 12 games. Mitchell has tied a WNBA record for most consecutive 20-point games, Clark is playing like an MVP candidate and Boston is averaging a career-best 16.9 ppg. “I think they’re clicking right now. So, it’s a lot of fun,” Cunningham said. ‘The Others’ Cunningham has no issue being the main character because of her off-court views, but in the court she and fellow Fever role players Lexie Hull, Makayla Timpson, Raven Johnson and others are okay deferring to their explosive trio. “And so for us, ‘The Others’ is what we like to call ourselves, we just try to make sure they get the ball when they need it,” Cunningham said. “We know they’re going to get the majority of the shots and that’s how it should be. And you know, when we get the ball, we need to knock down our shots and do what the team needs.”