INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 18: Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham 8 reacts after knocking down her three pointer in the second half of play during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on July 18, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 18 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon071826041
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 18: Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham 8 reacts after knocking down her three pointer in the second half of play during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on July 18, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 18 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon071826041
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham had zero points in just seven minutes in a season-low Sunday against Washington. Three days afterward, she needed a deep shot to hit a milestone she had worked on for nine years.
The Indiana Fever announced it on social media following their 96-77 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday.
Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 20: Sophie Cunningham 8 of the Indiana Fever celebrates a three pointer during a game between Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena on June 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 9405
Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 20: Sophie Cunningham 8 of the Indiana Fever celebrates a three pointer during a game between Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena on June 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 9405
In a post on X, the team wrote, "Go Soph. Congrats to Sophie Cunningham on surpassing 2,000 career points."
Cunningham's record-breaking shot came on her ninth point of the game: a 24-foot three-pointer from Caitlin Clark that extended Indiana's lead to 60-45.
The total points scored by Cunningham stand at 2,004 through her stint at Phoenix Mercury, where she scored 1,409 points, and Indiana Fever, where she contributed 595 points.
But that consistency came after a poor game earlier. Cunningham sat out for the second and third quarters in a game against the Washington Mystics, ending up scoreless on two shots and a minus 11 rating in just seven minutes.
Head coach Stephanie White explained the adjustment afterward.
"We made a conscious effort" to find Cunningham open, White said. "And she stepped up and knocked them down."
Cunningham made three out of six shots from beyond the arc and shot 57 percent from the field, which is the highest shooting game for her among her last five. She had been averaging just 3.2 points on 30 percent shooting among her past six games prior to Tuesday.
But this huge difference between the two did not come out randomly, and White made sure of that.
Stephanie White credits Sophie Cunningham's bounceback mentality
Cunningham did not shy away from Sunday's performance when reporters asked about it Tuesday. She pointed to her own preparation rather than outside circumstances.
"I'm used to having to work through things," Cunningham said. "I could have had an attitude kind of, somewhat, after the Washington game, but no, I had to get work. I had to look at myself in the mirror. What can I do better?"
White gave her own take on the situation.
"I thought her activity level on the defensive end and her aggressiveness was really good," White said. "Her communication was really good. I'm proud of her bounceback."
Indiana will have to bring that same level of defensive intensity against Minnesota on Thursday, when Indiana wraps up their regular season schedule. Victory gives them a chance at a coveted fourth seed and a playoff first-round home game.
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Written by
Utsav Gupta
Edited by
Utsav Gupta