Sophie Cunningham knows exactly how to light up a WNBA rivalry, and she just handed fans the ultimate sequel to this season’s most viral moment. The guard completely stole the spotlight after the Indiana Fever locked down a 92–89 victory over the Phoenix Mercury at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Thursday night.
​
With franchise cornerstone Caitlin Clark sidelined due to a lingering back injury, the team needed an energy spark plug on the road after losing 106-92 to the LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on July 8. Cunningham delivered just that. She capped off the win by boldly trolling her former team, underscoring the increasingly tense relationship between the teams.
Sophie Cunningham Revives Finger Pointing 2.0 In Fever vs. Mercury
The Indiana Fever traveled to Phoenix to face the Mercury on July 9. It was their third clash of the season, with the Fever currently leading the head-to-head 2–1.
​Following Kelsey Mitchell’s clutch layup with 10.1 seconds remaining in the last quarter to give the Fever a lead late in the game, the Mercury fouled, sending Sophie Cunningham to the charity stripe to knock another two free throws to seal the deal.
After the final whistle, Cunningham, surrounded by her teammates, pointed toward the Phoenix bench to recreate the finger-pointing meme, though it wasn’t for 22 seconds this time.
Sophie Cunningham after the Fever’s win over the Mercury. pic.twitter.com/ki8lg6mcRs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2026
This dramatic finish served as the perfect callback to June 22, when the original iconic moment was created at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Following an on-court altercation between Clark and DeWanna Bonner in the fourth quarter, Cunningham stepped in to defend her teammate.
Instead of throwing punches, the Fever’s protector locked eyes with Bonner and held a silent, stone-faced, 22-second finger-point. The moment quickly went viral, producing a legendary social media meme.
Even without Caitlin Clark, who centers their playmaking, the Fever’s depth ruled the night. Kelsey Mitchell went into beast mode with a game-high 29 points and 8 assists, shooting 10-of-22 from the floor and 3-of-6 from deep.
Aliyah Boston dominated the paint with 21 points and went 3-of-5 from three-point range, while Tyasha Harris and Lexi Hull chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively. Cunningham finished with 9 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in 29 minutes, shooting 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Both Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper emerged as the top scorers for the Mercury with 22 points each. Thomas shot 10-of-18 from the field with 6 rebounds and 7 assists, while Copper shot 9-of-17. DeWanna Bonner played 27 minutes and contributed 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-of-8 shooting.
By pulling off a gritty, short-handed win, the Fever move to 13–9 in conference play, proving that even without their star rookie on the floor, this team has plenty of bite. They will travel to Michelob ULTRA Arena this weekend to face the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces (16–6).
​
