When the spotlight shines brightest, people often show you who they really are -- and I tend to believe them. While Sophie Cunningham has controversially been making the headlines off the court in recent weeks, it is her performances on the court that will truly destroy the Indiana Fever's championship dreams.
Sophie Cunningham has made it clear after her own comments around transgender girls and women competing in sports that she now wants the media to "keep the main thing, the main thing," and only discuss basketball, so let's do exactly that.
"For me, I want to get back to basketball"
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) August 5, 2026
WATCH: #Fever guard Sophie Cunningham on all the "distraction" that has come from a recent article where she voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. pic.twitter.com/T8hTVoFovi
The Indiana Fever only have one ambition with Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell on their roster: winning a championship. Two stars cannot propel a franchise to eternal glory; every player on that squad must be at their optimum level. Frankly, Cunningham has failed to meet that standard since her sudden desperation to escape the limelight.
Cunningham can't continue to be a passenger
Whether the outside noise has crippled her composure or if this is just a genuine dip in form, Sophie Cunningham's minutes on the floor have been detrimental to Indiana's ability to chalk up a win.
After winning five consecutive games, the Fever have now slumped to just one win in three games -- with two of the defeats coming against title rivals the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces. Uncoincidentally, the 29-year-old is recording her worst numbers of the season during this stretch, averaging 2.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.
Of course, the lack of production should concern Indiana, but Cunningham's reduced involvement is their biggest issue. Cunningham has only registered seven shot attempts in her last three appearances -- four of which have come from deep.
No matter what fans think of the Fever guard as a player, she has shown throughout the 2026 season that she is more than capable from 3-point range. Over the course of the campaign, Cunningham has averaged a career-high 44.1% from deep. If she isn't being given opportunities within this range, her value to Indiana will seriously decrease, and so will the franchise's chances of a championship.
Sophie Cunningham is becoming a big problem for the Indiana Fever in more ways than one. Not only is she bringing heat to the franchise off the court, but her performances -- or lack thereof -- on the court are contributing to the team's stuttering form. If Indiana is serious about challenging for the championship, they have to find a way to put their controversial guard back on track.
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