INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 09: Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White talks with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham 8 during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever on August 09, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 09 Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon080925014
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 09: Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White talks with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham 8 during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever on August 09, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 09 Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon080925014
The Indiana Fever's star shooter, Sophie Cunningham, spent all of seven minutes playing on the court, ultimately losing to the Washington Mystics, and coach Stephanie White is getting all the heat for it.
The Indiana Fever's three-game winning streak ended Sunday after the Mystics won the game 93-77.
Cunningham spent most of the game on the bench, finishing with zero points, zero assists, and zero rebounds. In fact, her time on the floor has dropped rapidly over the past three games.
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
It went from 20 to 14, and now it's seven, her lowest in the 2026 season. The moment brought coach Stephanie White's rotation management into sharp focus and invited a ton of backlash.
Even former ESPN caster Linda Cohn gave her two cents on the incident. “Stephanie White and the Fever can burn the tape if they want, they could burn it," Cohn said.
"But when a team comes out like that, I tend to blame the coaching staff for not having these players prepared." She added.
White later explained her decisions, saying that they were searching for defensive help and looking for what groups of players could grant the team the best opportunities.
However, her comments may have been much too late.
Fans blast Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White over Sophie Cunningham Situation
After the game, the whole WNBA fanbase was talking about Cunningham being left out of the game for too long. One X user, @SportsPatriotUS posted a long explanation about the situation, and many fans expressed their opinions in the comments.
One fan believed that leaving one of the team's best shooters out simply points towards coaching issues: "Leaving a 43% shooter cold for 23 minutes and then asking her to create instant spacing is coaching malpractice. Specialists live on rhythm."
Cunningham has indeed maintained a 43.2% success rate when shooting 3-pointers in the 2026 season. Naturally, fans want to see her do what she does best on the floor.
Some others believed that Cunningham was being punished for some reason: "It's Stephanie White's punishment of Sophie. Her limited time playing was solely for optics."
One fan believed that Cunningham needed to be prioritized given she's one of the Fever's best players. "Coach needs to play Sophie more. She may not be in the starting lineup, but she is one of their top four players."
Meanwhile, one fan put the blame on White for her choices with the rotation, saying, "40 games in and White still hasn’t figured out the rotations. Pathetic."
Their match against the Mystics was the Fever's 42nd match. The team is currently ranked No. 5 and may not get the top seed if they lose more matches.
Yet another fan added that Cunningham's prolonged absence interfered with her rhythm. "Rhythm matters for shooters, timing can completely change performance."
Overall, the fan base appears rather enraged over White's decisions. Now, the question is whether she'll change the rotations again or not.
The Indiana Fever is scheduled to play against the Minnesota Lynx next, and they're currently ranked No. 1 on the ladder. This may be a battle to keep an eye on.
Written by
Prit Chauhan