The Indiana Fever defeated the Golden State Valkyries 90-82 in front of a loud crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday. The comeback win helped the Fever extend their winning streak to three games.
Amidst this, Sophie Cunningham left the arena with a battle scar and a sense of humor about the physical nature of the game against the Valkyries.
Sophie Cunningham Takes a Beating but Delivers off the Bench
Golden State arrived in Indianapolis with a 3-1 record, determined to disrupt the Fever’s offensive system. The Valkyries have built an early identity around relentless ball pressure, with head coach Natalie Nakase deploying physical defenders on the perimeter all night.
Tiffany Hayes and Veronica Burton constantly bumped cutters and contested every passing lane. This strategy kept the game close for long stretches but left several players, including Cunningham, bruised.
Cunningham absorbed a major portion of the contact on Friday night, with the Valkyries challenging her at the rim on multiple possessions, resulting in heavy collisions.
After the game, she posted a clip sporting a deep, fresh scratch right across her forehead.
“Tonight during the game, I came out, and I literally leaned over the bench, and I was like, ‘Ty [Tyasha Harris], do I have a scratch on my head? Like it hurts.’ She goes ‘No, you’re fine.’ I literally looked in the mirror, and I look like freakin Harry Potter,” Cunningham remarked.
Despite the physical toll, Cunningham did not slow down. She finished the night with 11 points, shooting 4-for-8 from the field and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.
This was an improvement from her previous outing, when she had 2 points on 1-for-5 shooting against the Portland Fire.
Cunningham’s willingness to take hard fouls, hit the deck, and keep shooting makes her indispensable to head coach Stephanie White.
While the Fever have been coasting offensively, the same cannot be said of their defense this season.
During a recent segment of her podcast, while admitting the team was struggling to contain their opponents, Cunningham suggested the team was letting missed shots dictate their defensive effort.
Indiana now faces a five-day break before hitting the road for a rematch against these Valkyries on Thursday. Cunningham and Co. will be aware of exactly what’s in store, as Golden State will bring the same physical defensive scheme to their home floor.
