Sophie Cunningham admitted she stole her new celebration from an NBA star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sophie Cunningham couldn’t miss on Tuesday night. The Indiana Fever veteran delivered her best offensive performance of the season, knocking down six 3-pointers and helping lead Indiana to a dominant 113-91 victory over the Toronto Tempo at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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But while fans were focused on Cunningham’s shooting display, many also noticed something else: her now-familiar celebration after draining a shot from beyond the arc. As it turns out, the celebration wasn’t originally hers.
After the game, Cunningham revealed exactly where she got the idea, and it came from one of the NBA’s brightest young stars.
Cunningham’s career night powered another Fever win
Indiana’s offense was firing on all cylinders against Toronto, and Cunningham played a major role in making sure the Fever never lost control of the game. The eight-year veteran finished with a season-high 24 points while shooting 6-for-7 from 3-point range. She also added six rebounds and two assists in one of her most complete performances since joining Indiana.
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It was another encouraging sign for the Fever, who have continued to build momentum heading into a crucial stretch of games. Cunningham’s scoring outburst came just days after she delivered one of the biggest moments in Indiana’s win over the Connecticut Sun, scoring 11 points in the final two minutes to help seal an 85-75 victory.
When Cunningham is knocking down shots, Indiana becomes an entirely different team.
MORE: A’ja Wilson’s simple pregame outfit had WNBA fans saying the same thing
Sophie Cunningham revealed who inspired the celebration
After the game, Cunningham was asked about the celebration she has been using after hitting 3-pointers. Her answer immediately connected the Fever to the NBA Finals.
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“You know, I don’t know,” Cunningham said. “I think I gotta need a little shoutout to JDub from the Thunder. He was starting it, so I was like, ‘I like that.'”
The celebration has become one of Cunningham’s signature reactions during her recent hot streak, but she admitted the idea came from Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams. Williams has become one of the NBA’s fastest-rising stars and one of the biggest reasons Oklahoma City has emerged as a championship contender. Now his influence has apparently made its way to the WNBA.
Cunningham joked that she and her teammates are constantly searching for new ways to celebrate.
“We’re getting creative with our three celebrations,” she added. “But I gotta make ’em first. So I need to dial in on my shot. We’ll see what happens.”
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The timing couldn’t be better for Indiana
The Fever are beginning to look like one of the hottest teams in the league. Indiana has won consecutive games and continues to get strong contributions from multiple players around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Cunningham’s emergence as a consistent perimeter threat could be especially important as the Fever prepare for a challenging back-to-back set against the Atlanta Dream. The two teams will meet Thursday in Indianapolis before facing each other again Saturday in Atlanta.
Those games could have major implications for the Eastern Conference standings, and if Cunningham keeps shooting the way she did against Toronto, Fever fans may be seeing a lot more of that Jalen Williams-inspired celebration. For now, at least, Cunningham has made one thing clear: the move may have started in the NBA, but she’s making it her own in Indiana.
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