SerpApi.Org
Sophie Cunningham has been one of the best stories of the Indiana Fever’s season. She moved to the bench once the roster got healthy, and instead of fading, she got better. Through 25 games, she’s averaging 9.4 points on a career-best 43.7% from three, numbers that put her among the league’s most efficient shooters.
So when the WNBA released its six-player field for Friday’s All-Star 3-Point Contest, Cunningham’s name wasn’t on it. Azzi Fudd, Bridget Carleton, Natisha Hiedeman, Rhyne Howard, Marina Mabrey and Janelle Salaün will compete in Chicago instead.
Cunningham didn’t stay quiet about it.
Responding to a post from trainer Drew Hanlen that flagged her three-point numbers, she wrote, “soooo what else is new with everyone?” The post was later deleted, but not before fans noticed.
Her outside shooting isn’t a small sample fluke, either. She hit six threes on July 12 against the Las Vegas Aces, part of a 20-point outburst off the bench that pushed Indiana to a blowout win. She’s taking 4.1 attempts a night and cashing 1.8 of them, a clip that ranks near the top of the league.
Before the snub, Cunningham had already downplayed her own chances at her youth camp in Carmel.
“I don’t make any of those decisions,” she said, h/t Chloe Peterson of IndySports. “I think it would be a cool opportunity if I get chosen. If I’m not, that’s OK.”
Fever coach Stephanie White pushed back harder than her own player did, saying Cunningham had earned a spot on shooting alone and would have brought real entertainment value to the event. That sentiment lines up with what actually happened Friday night. No Fever player will take part in the 3-Point Contest at all. WNBPA also banned the viral pointing finger meme from their official merchandise.
Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu both turned down invitations, as did Minnesota’s Kayla McBride. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, both inside the top 10 in three-point percentage themselves, were never in the field to begin with. For a team built around perimeter shooting, that’s a strange outcome heading into All-Star weekend.
A Different Kind Of History Is Still In Reach For Sophie Cunningham
The contest snub might end up being the smaller story. Cunningham is quietly within range of the 50-40-90 club, one of the rarest achievements in basketball. Only Elena Delle Donne and Napheesa Collier have ever hit 50% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from the line in the same WNBA season.
Cunningham is shooting 48.4% from the field and 89.4% from the free-throw line to go with her three-point number, meaning she’s within two points of both remaining marks. Her three-point shooting already clears the bar with room to spare.
Getting to 50% from the field will be the harder climb for a wing who lives beyond the arc. But she’s not chasing it alone. Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell and Wings guard Paige Bueckers are both within striking distance of the same club, setting up a genuine second-half race that has nothing to do with Friday’s contest.
Indiana closes the first half against Connecticut on Wednesday before the All-Star break, still without a 3-Point Contest representative for the first time this era. Cunningham can shrug that off. A shot at joining a two-person club in WNBA history is a far bigger prize, and it’s still hers to chase.
