Sophie Cunningham Makes Caitlin Clark Statement After Indiana Fever's 10th Loss

The Indiana Fever fell to the Golden State Valkyries in the injury return of Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) at the American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever looked out of sync in Wednesday’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries. Welcoming Caitlin Clark back from a five-game injury absence, Indiana opted for a smaller starting lineup, as head coach Stephanie White kept point guard Aari McDonald in the first five alongside Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

Clark finished with just 10 points, which was her second-lowest scoring output of the season. Indiana as a team scored just 61 points, which was is second-fewest on the year (via Basketball Reference).

As the Fever look ahead to the Atlanta Dream, they know it will be an adjustment reintegrating their star guard back into the mix.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and guard Sophie Cunningham (8) / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Speaking on this adjustment after Thursday’s practice, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham got honest about working Clark back into things.

"When she is playing with us, we play a different style of basketball,” Cunningham said. “It's almost like two different teams, right? When she's with us, you play a different style. When she's hurt, which hopefully she's done being hurt... Then we play a whole different style. But once we catch rhythm with her in, we’re going to be really, really good."

Earlier in her media availability, Cunningham spoke on how the team was playing in Clark's absence, and how that is different now.

“Everyone saw that we kind of got some flow when [Clark] was hurt and our offense was clicking," she said. "But now we have to have a new offense when she's in there, because she just brings that much to the game. So we have to adjust.”