Sophie Cunningham earns 29 minutes
Sophie Cunningham played 29 minutes off Indiana’s bench on September 22 as the Fever beat Minnesota 96-77 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She scored 11 points, helping Indiana defeat the top-seeded Lynx before the playoffs.
Cunningham made four of seven field goals and three of six attempts from three-point range. She added two rebounds and two assists, finishing with a plus-17 rating during Indiana’s 19-point home victory.
Sophie Cunningham rebounds from limited minutes
Cunningham’s expanded role came two days after she played seven minutes in a 93-77 loss to Washington. She went scoreless on two field-goal attempts and finished with a minus-11 rating.
Against Minnesota, Cunningham’s playing time increased by more than 22 minutes, and her scoring reached double figures. She contributed 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists while making three shots from beyond the arc.
Sophie Cunningham finds her three-point shot
Cunningham made three of six three-point attempts against Minnesota, producing nine of her 11 points from beyond the arc. Her 50% mark exceeded Indiana’s 34.6% team rate from deep in that game.
Across the 2026 regular season, Cunningham averaged 8.0 points while shooting 42.9% from three-point range. Her accuracy from deep gave Indiana a dependable perimeter option throughout the campaign and postseason push.
Sophie Cunningham protects possessions
Cunningham finished the September 22 win without a turnover despite logging 29 minutes. She also committed only two personal fouls while Indiana limited its team turnover total to 13.
Her plus-17 rating ranked among Indiana’s stronger marks in the victory. The Fever outscored Minnesota during Cunningham’s minutes, while her efficient shooting supported a bench unit that contributed 22 points.
Caitlin Clark leads Indiana with 27 points
Caitlin Clark led Indiana with 27 points while adding nine assists and seven rebounds against Minnesota. Her playmaking helped Indiana build an early cushion and kept the Fever offense organized throughout the game.
Clark’s production came as Indiana improved to 28-15 with one regular-season game remaining. The Fever scored 96 points on 50.8% shooting and recorded 27 assists on 32 made field goals.
Kelsey Mitchell extends scoring record
Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points against Minnesota, extending her WNBA record to 27 consecutive games with at least 20 points. She reached the mark with a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell later finished the 2026 regular season with 1,086 points, setting a WNBA single-season scoring record. Her 27-game streak ended in the September 24 finale when she scored 10 points.
Aliyah Boston adds interior production
Aliyah Boston supplied 17 points and seven rebounds in Indiana’s September 22 victory. She made seven of nine field goals and helped the Fever produce 40 points in the paint.
Boston gave Indiana another efficient scoring option besides Clark and Mitchell. Her interior production helped the Fever build a lead that reached 29 points before Minnesota reduced the margin later.
Indiana Fever win the efficiency battle
Indiana shot 50.8% from the field against Minnesota, making 32 of 63 attempts. The Fever also converted 23 of 28 free throws and posted a 63.7% true shooting rate in the victory.
Indiana scored 40 points in the paint, 18 on fast breaks, and 21 off turnovers. Minnesota scored 53 bench points, but the Fever’s shooting efficiency helped produce the 19-point victory.
Indiana Fever dominate the first half
Indiana led 31-16 after the first quarter and carried a 57-34 advantage into halftime. The Fever stretched their lead to 29 points during the second quarter before Minnesota began cutting the deficit.
Minnesota scored 30 points in the third quarter and reduced Indiana’s lead to seven. The Fever answered by winning the fourth quarter 25-13 and completed a 96-77 home victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Minnesota Lynx miss Olivia Miles
Minnesota played without rookie guard Olivia Miles, who was a late scratch because of a left calf injury. Her absence removed the team’s leading scorer and primary distributor from the September 22 lineup.
The Lynx still had Napheesa Collier available, but Indiana built a large early lead. Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve kept four regular starters out for the entire second half of the game.
Fun fact: Cunningham grew up in a family where her mother, father, sister, aunt, uncle, and grandfather all competed in sports at Missouri.
Indiana Fever keep seeding hopes alive
The September 22 victory temporarily kept Indiana’s hopes of earning the No. 4 playoff seed alive. At 28-15, the Fever remained in position to chase first-round home-court advantage late in the season.
Minnesota secured the No. 1 playoff seed later that night after Golden State lost in overtime to Portland. Indiana had therefore beaten the league’s top-seeded Lynx shortly before postseason play began.
Sophie Cunningham sees role shrink in rematch
Two days later, Cunningham played 16 minutes in Minnesota as Indiana lost the regular-season finale 86-66. She went scoreless, missing all four field-goal attempts, each one from three-point range, that night.
The contrast showed how quickly her role changed between the two Minnesota games. Cunningham moved from 29 productive minutes in Indianapolis to a shorter, scoreless appearance during the rematch at Target Center.
How Sophie Cunningham spent her much-needed WNBA break, showing how she used time away from competition to recharge before returning to the demanding regular-season schedule.
Sophie Cunningham finishes with steady season
Cunningham finished the 2026 regular season averaging 8.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 42 games for Indiana. She averaged 22.4 minutes while shooting 42.9% from three-point range for the season.
Indiana ended the regular season 28-16 and secured the No. 6 playoff seed. Cunningham’s 11-point performance against Minnesota came five days before the Fever were scheduled to begin postseason play on September 27.
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Did Sophie Cunningham’s 29-minute performance show she deserves a larger playoff role for Indiana, or should the Fever keep adjusting based on each matchup? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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