Sophie Cunningham shares four-word message before Fever-Liberty showdown originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sophie Cunningham has spent much of the 2026 WNBA season surrounded by noise. Her latest message, however, showed the Indiana Fever guard is not allowing it to take the joy out of her game.
Advertisement
Cunningham shared a video from her “Show Me Something” podcast account Monday that captured her dancing and working out inside the Fever‘s practice facility. The playful clip included a simple four-word caption.
“I’m just a girl.”
Cunningham also reposted the video to her Instagram Stories as Indiana continued preparing for Tuesday’s home game against the New York Liberty.
It was a lighthearted message, but the timing made it notable. Cunningham is coming off another eventful weekend and entering one of the Fever’s biggest games of the season.
Cunningham moves forward after physical Sky game
Cunningham was at the center of a controversial sequence during Indiana’s 90-86 victory over the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Sky guard DiJonai Carrington hit Cunningham high as the Fever veteran attempted a layup in the first quarter. Officials reviewed the play and assessed Carrington a Flagrant 2 foul, resulting in an automatic ejection.
Cunningham later called the contact “unnecessary” but said she had never previously experienced an issue with Carrington. She also rejected the suggestion that race influenced the officials’ decision.
Advertisement
The incident quickly became another major WNBA talking point. Cunningham’s social media post two days later suggested she was ready to leave the controversy behind and return her attention to basketball.
Indiana will need that focus against New York. The Fever enter the matchup at 20-12 and hold a narrow lead atop the Eastern Conference. The Liberty are only a half-game back at 20-13, making Tuesday’s contest potentially important for playoff positioning and postseason seeding.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham reportedly shopping tell-all book amid WNBA controversy
Sophie Cunningham has become a major part of Fever’s success
Cunningham’s role in Indiana extends beyond the attention she generates away from the court. The 29-year-old is averaging 8.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists through 31 appearances. More importantly, she has been one of the WNBA’s most reliable perimeter shooters, connecting on 44.1 percent of her 3-point attempts.
Advertisement
That efficiency has helped keep Cunningham in the Sixth Player of the Year conversation. She has also demonstrated the ability to deliver bigger scoring performances when Indiana needs them, including a 24-point effort against the Toronto Tempo in June and a 20-point game against the Las Vegas Aces in July.
Her toughness and willingness to defend opposing guards have made her an important part of coach Stephanie White’s rotation as well. Indiana’s depth will be tested during a demanding portion of the schedule. The Fever recently lost veteran center Damiris Dantas for the season because of a torn meniscus, leading the organization to sign two-time WNBA champion Mercedes Russell through a season-ending injury exception.
The Fever will play four games in six days beginning with Tuesday’s meeting against New York. That makes production from Cunningham and Indiana’s second unit even more important. There has rarely been a quiet week surrounding Cunningham this season. Yet with the defending Eastern Conference champion Liberty coming to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, her latest four-word message made one thing clear: She remains loose, energized and ready for what comes next.
