The Fever have a point guard problem.
Indiana Fever Make Point Guard Decision on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever had some bad luck in the final game of their West Coast road trip. Not only did they lose by 35 points to the Phoenix Mercury, but they also lost two key players for the year.
With Caitlin Clark still recovering from her groin injury, the former Iowa Hawkeyes point guard was ruled out for Saturday's rematch against the Chicago Sky. But backup point guards Sydney Colson (torn ACL) and Aari McDonald (broken bone in foot) will also be unavailable, seeing their years coming to an end.
This left coach Stephanie White without any point guards and a big decision to make.
Fever Place Sophie Cunningham at Point Guard
With no true point guards available, the Fever elected to slot Cunningham, a natural shooting guard, into the starting position for Saturday's game. The ex-Mercury guard has earned the start in each of the previous nine games, usually playing the wing.
"Sophie Cunningham starting at point for the Fever tonight," Indy Star's Chloe Peterson wrote on X.
With Cunningham sliding over to point guard, this left another hole at the three position. So Indiana elected to insert Lexie Hull back into the starting lineup after getting benched for Cunningham earlier in the season.
Along with Cunningham and Hull, the Fever will roll with their normal lineup, which includes Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard.
Looking at Cunningham's Playmaking Ability
With zero point guards available, the Fever lacked a top-notch playmaker. Cunningham, during her seven seasons in the WNBA, has not proven to be much of a passer, averaging 1.4 assists per game throughout her career. This season, Cunningham is tallying 1.0 assists per game, which would rank lower than Boston (3.7), Mitchell (3.0) and Hull (1.6).
However, Cunningham was more of a playmaker in college with the Missouri Tigers. In four seasons, she averaged 3.0 assists per game, significantly higher from her WNBA numbers. She also maxed out during her sophomore year at 3.4 assists per game.
Related: Slo-Mo Video of Sydney Colson’s Concerning Injury Leaves Fans in Disbelief
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
