Sophie Cunningham’s homecoming this season to the Mortgage Matchup Center on Thursday didn’t go as well as she had planned. The tensions that swayed across the two Indiana-Phoenix fixtures at Gainbridge Fieldhouse last month carried over to this game as well. Indiana held its nerve to clinch the season’s second win over the Mercury, with Cunningham helping them in the closing seconds. But the loyal X-Factors captured the attention with their unwelcoming gesture towards Cunningham.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
During a free-throw sequence, as Cunningham stood near the line to take the shot, the crowd erupted with booes to express their resentment. The Fever guard did nail the shot, but it was just a teaser of what was about to come for Cunningham on the night. Outkick took to their X handle to share a highlight play of the moment.
“Mercury fans let Sophie Cunningham hear it!” the caption read. Watch it yourself:
In a separate sequence in the third quarter, Sophie Cunningham was called for an offensive foul, and the crowd resumed its back-and-forth on the Fever guard. The fans stepped in and made her viral finger-pointing gesture, further heightening tensions around the game.
This unwelcoming moment is immensely surprising, given that Cunningham spent six seasons with Phoenix before the franchise traded her to Indiana. Even before the game tipped off, Cunningham expressed her gratitude to the Phoenix Mercury.
“Very blessed to start my career here,” she had said, as per Fox 10 Phoenix reporter Meghan Plain.
But as the game started, the situation around Cunningham became uncomfortable, and it traces back to the last stretch of games between the two teams.
For context, Cunningham was at the center of the Indiana-Phoenix tussle in the first fixture between these two teams last month. Right after a verbal altercation between Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner and Caitlin Clark, Cunningham lived up to her ‘enforcer’ tag.
She made a finger gesture towards Bonner for 22 seconds that blew up on the internet moments later. But on Thursday, the story flipped on her as Cunningham got a taste of her own medicine, with the entire crowd making the same gesture towards her.
Despite an unceremonious welcome by the crowd, Sophie Cunningham’s performance was decent. In her 29 minutes, the Fever guard recorded nine points with 2 of 7 from the field. She further contributed with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Behind Kelsey Mitchell’s 29 points and Aliyah Boston’s 21 points, the Fever cut through the Phoenix defense perfectly in a highly anticipated game. Nevertheless, the tensions continued even after the game. As the Indiana players assembled on the court, Cunningham made her viral finger gesture toward the crowd in return for their welcome after shooting two free throws after Kaleah Copper fouled her in the closing seconds.
With the scores settled between Sophie Cunningham and the Phoenix crowd, the Indiana Fever return to winning ways after dropping a game against the LA Sparks, and are 13-9 in the season. Cunningham and the Fever, next up, face the Las Vegas Aces on July 12.