Joining the Indiana Fever, Stephanie White had carried with her a few brief visions. Building a strong defense was sure first on the list. But how do you grow a team that’s already loaded offensively? “We can be more creative… utilize certain players in different ways,” she suggested. Indiana’s season steamrolled into such a situation, Coach White was naturally obliged to make do with what was left. But has her view really translated into positives?

After Sydney Colson (knee) and Aari McDonald (bone) were ruled out for the season, the shorthanded Fever went into their matchup against the Chicago Sky with just nine active players and no true point guards. They played the whole game with makeshift point guards, and one of the players who had a big impact playing the role was Sophie Cunningham.

Normally a wing, Cunningham stepped up with 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, while also helping Lexie Hull snap her 18-game single-digit scoring streak with a 17-point game. The Fever cruised past the Sky with a dominant 22-point win, but reality hit hard in the next game when the makeshift guard experiment fell flat, leading to a surprising loss against the Wings.

Coach White acknowledged that these are tough times for the Fever. “It’s really challenging because you want to keep players as much as possible in their natural positions so that they’re able to do what they do best. And oftentimes, particularly when you’ve got to put players in some uncomfortable positions—whether that be ball handling, you know now, taking Sophie off the ball and putting her on the ball, whether that be Bibby… It’s not always advantageous.”

Cunningham finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, along with 3 assists and 2 rebounds. However, her playmaking fell short against the Wings, as the Fever found themselves trailing by as many as 17 later in the game. But the change in positions wasn’t the only disruptor. If you ask the former Phoenix guard, she’d attribute a part of it to the new additions.

In the latest episode of her Show Me Something podcast, Cunningham admitted the team is still adjusting to playing alongside Odyssey Sims, and it will take some time to find the right flow. “We signed Odyssey Sims, who’s gonna be great for us. Like she is an actual point guard. That was her first time playing with everyone so I just think everyone’s rhythm was a little bit off. We will be fine but it takes a little bit of time.”

The 11-year veteran had an underwhelming Fever debut against her former team. In 13 minutes, she went 0-for-4 from the field, scored no points, grabbed no rebounds, and tallied just 2 assists.

Coach White stressed that Sims had just one day of training with her new teammates, making it tough to build chemistry right away. She noted that Sims only knew the basics of the Fever playbook and would need time to fully settle in. “We’re working Odyssey into what we do, but still, it’s tough,” White said. “Because point guards are the ones who get you organized.”

While Odyssey Sims was largely looked at as being the one to fill in for the point guard spot until, of course, Caitlin Clark comes back and takes over, the Fever have made another signing, making it increasingly likely that the era of makeshift guards in Indiana is coming to an end. Who did they sign?

Sophie Cunningham catches a break as Fever sign another point guard

With two guards sidelined, many expected the Fever to make a double signing. After bringing in Odyssey Sims, talk of another guard addition went quiet. But in a twist no one saw coming, the Fever have just signed another guard who wasn’t on anybody’s books.

The Fever have officially signed Kyra Lambert, a point guard who played her college ball at Duke and Texas. While she has no prior WNBA experience, Lambert is fresh off a strong season with Olympiakos in the Greek league and will definitely be someone to keep an eye on. “This means everything, (I’ve just been) remaining faithful and trusting the process. I’m really excited to be here,” the 28-year-old guard said after her first practice session with the team.

With Lambert’s arrival, chances are we won’t see Sophie Cunningham taking on the makeshift guard role anymore. Then again, basketball can be unpredictable! No one saw Indiana losing both point guards at once, yet here we are. What do you think of the Fever’s latest guard moves?