Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull aren’t your typical players whose responsibilities for the team start and end on the court. The Indiana Fever are leaders, translating that Fever bond well within the team and beyond. A glimpse of it was on display recently, when both the senior players showed their true emotions for a rookie after she shared a tribute video on social media for her teammates and the Indiana Fever at the end of the preseason.

We are talking about Justine Pissott, Indiana Fever’s 25th pick in the WNBA Draft.

The former Vanderbilt player recently shared an Instagram post featuring glimpses of her time with the Indiana Fever so far this preseason, a tribute to the first professional team of her career. The caption read, “grounded. 💙”

Team seniors Hull and Cunningham were quick to react to the post and share their admiration for the new member.

“My girl!!!! 😍😍😍,” wrote Hull.

“Shoot that thanggggg,” commented Cunningham.

Cunningham and Hull’s comments clearly reflect the team atmosphere where the experienced players don’t hesitate to rally behind the young guns. This doesn’t just build confidence in the rookies, but also creates a healthy team environment that makes half the job easier going into the season.

It’s something that Justine Pissott mentioned in her introductory press conference, too.

“It’s very first-paced like learning-wise. I don’t think, it’s not anything I’m not used to,” she noted. “I mean, the girls are super welcoming, and it’s a very family-oriented. So I’m super excited.”

Pissott isn’t part of the regular 12-member Indiana Fever squad. Right after she was picked in the WNBA Draft, the Fever included her in the newly formed developmental pool.

It means that Pissott will still travel and practice with the team, but can only play during an injury crisis, and that too for just 12 games.

Pissott participated in just one preseason game for the Fever against the New York Liberty.

She logged just 10 minutes in the game, recording an impressive 8 points with 2 of 4 from the field before facing a lower leg injury and missing the next two preseason games. But for Pissott, none of it matters, as she’s just concerned with the team’s success, even though she might have played a limited role.

But Pissott isn’t the only new Fever player to get an arm around her shoulder from Cunningham.

The veteran Fever guard also took Raven Johnson under her wings in the training camp, engaging in long chats with the latter to make her comfortable as soon as possible. But as a senior player, Cunningham’s role isn’t just limited to this.

Sophie Cunningham looks to set the standards for the Indiana Fever players

For the Indiana Fever, there’s no shortage of anticipation around its squad this season. The team made substantial use of the WNBA Draft, bringing in Raven Johnson in the first round, Justine Pissott in the second round, and Jessica Timons in the third. On top of that, the Fever also had some major signings in Monique Billings and Myisha Hines-Allen.

But the issue with these players is that they need to be brought on the same level as their core players, like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston. And subsequently, Sophie Cunningham wants to step into that role and set the tempo for these players on both offense and defense.

“I think we have a really goofy team, ” Cunningham shared in a recent press conference. “We all are bonding, and it’s been super fun. We all get along, which is very nice. But it’s hard because you still have so many people on your roster and you’re still finding your identity.

“You have people who are practicing, who are going to be playing. So you have some people who are injured, who are going to be big pieces to our team. So, I think for me, it’s just like creating a standard, like this is what we’re going to be about on defense, and this is what we’re going to be on offense.”

The preseason games have clearly reinforced that the Indiana Fever players are collecting their momentum at the right time.

Mitchell, Clark, and Sophie Cunningham have already been in top-notch form in these initial games. In fact, Cunningham played well in the Fever’s two preseason wins against the New York Liberty and the Nigeria National team, recording 13 and 8 points, respectively.

With players like Johnson and Hull on the bench and a formidable shooter like Pissott sitting out in the developmental pool, the Indiana Fever’s depth is looking one to reckon with in the coming season. It will be interesting to see how the Indiana Fever players carry this momentum into the regular season, when the stakes will be even higher and the room for mistakes will be much smaller.