🔥 Mystics Players ASSAULT Sophie Cunningham — And Then She TORCHED Them for 21!

It started with violence. It ended with vengeance.

In what was supposed to be a routine preseason tune-up, Sophie Cunningham turned a hostile assault into a defining hero moment, putting the Indiana Fever on her back and delivering a performance that will echo long into the WNBA season.

🩸 Dragged. Slammed. Smiling Rivals.

Mystics Players ASSAULTED Sophie Cunningham & Here's What Happened After!

Cunningham was targeted early and often by an aggressive Mystics squad clearly out for more than just a scrimmage win. She was dragged to the ground, shoved off screens, and battered every time she touched the ball — yet officials swallowed their whistles.

The most egregious act? A takedown by Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen, who pulled Cunningham to the floor in a move that looked more like WWE than WNBA. What made it worse? Kiki SMILED.

Who smiles after nearly injuring a respected veteran?

That moment was the spark — not just for Sophie, but for the entire Fever roster.

💥 The Flip: From Chaos to Comeback

Before that moment, the Fever looked flat. No Caitlin Clark, no momentum, no fight. But when Sophie got up, locked eyes with Iriafen, and stood her ground, something flipped.

The Fever transformed.

A full-court press followed. Defensive grit. Hustle. Energy. Fire. Cunningham didn’t just respond — she exploded, scoring 21 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and igniting a 70–5 run that buried the Mystics and silenced the doubters.

🧨 More Than Stats — Sophie Became the Spark

Sophie Cunningham Had Words After Fever's Preseason Win Over Mystics - Yahoo Sports

This wasn’t about numbers. This was about identity.

Sophie Cunningham didn’t just survive the onslaught — she dominated through it. Every hit she took, every no-call, every hostile stare… it all became fuel. Fuel for a new version of the Indiana Fever — tougher, angrier, hungrier.

And it didn’t stop there. DeWanna Bonner stepped in. Teammates backed Sophie up. Unity emerged from chaos. Suddenly, this wasn’t the old Fever team. This was a squad with edge, grit, and bite — and Cunningham was the catalyst.

🚨 “That Wasn’t Basketball. That Was Targeting.”

The WNBA has long prided itself on being physical — but this went too far. When multiple flagrant fouls are committed against one player and no action is taken, fans and analysts rightly call it what it is:

Targeting.
Bullying.
Intent to injure.

And the league? Silent. Worse — they’re running ads promoting physicality while players like Cunningham are getting body-slammed in real-time.

How does that help grow the game?

🐺 Sophie the Survivor — and the Star

After this game, Sophie Cunningham isn’t just a role player. She’s the face of a movement. The face of a Fever team finally finding its soul — and it looks nothing like the one everyone expected.

No Caitlin Clark? No problem. Sophie Cunningham showed she can carry a franchise with leadership, skill, toughness, and poise. She didn’t just “get the job done.” She won the war — and left no doubts about who had the last word.

🏀 The Takeaway: The WNBA’s Physical Line Has Been Crossed

This game sparked something deeper. A conversation. A warning. A reckoning. The Fever aren’t backing down anymore — and neither is Sophie.

The league needs to ask itself:
Is this basketball?
Or is it brutality disguised as toughness?

Either way, Cunningham answered the call. Bloodied, battered — and better than ever.