{
  "id": 9257525,
  "title": "How Sophie Cunningham bounced back from benching: 'Had to look at myself in the mirror'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/how-sophie-cunningham-bounced-back-from-benching-had-to-look-at",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T03:26:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sophie-cunningham-bounced-back-benching-032623147.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sophie Cunningham made an impressive comeback after being benched for most of Indiana Fever's game against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The veteran wing put up 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including three 3-pointers, in 29 minutes, 9 seconds. Cunningham pulled in a couple rebounds, dished out two assists, and logged a plus-17 rating. Fever coach Stephanie White praised Cunningham's activity level on defense, her aggressiveness, and her communication during the game. This bounceback came after Cunningham struggled in her first 41 games, averaging over 22 minutes per contest. She acknowledged that she had to look in the mirror to find areas to improve and emphasized the importance of contributing defensively and positively when on the court. Her 11 points were her most since scoring 13 against Toronto on August 18, and her shooting percentages were her best in the last five games. Cunningham's performance marked a potential break from a shooting slump, and her minutes played held steady at 17.6 per game.",
  "summary": "Fever coach Stephanie White said she was proud of Sophie Cunningham's play Tuesday in a win vs the Lynx, days after being benched. Here's how she bounced back.",
  "key_points": [
    "Sophie Cunningham returned to game after benching",
    "Scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3 3-pointers",
    "Fever coach Stephanie White praised her defensive activity"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Sophie Cunningham's bounceback performance signals a potential turning point in her season, as she refocuses on defensive contributions and aggressiveness to regain her footing with the Indiana Fever.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "How Sophie Cunningham bounced back from benching: 'Had to look at myself in the mirror'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/how-sophie-cunningham-bounced-back-from-benching-had-to-look-at-9257526",
        "published": "2026-09-23T03:26:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}