Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham did not hold back following the team's back-to-back losses on the West Coast, saying the Fever are playing "too soft."
"We have all the pieces we need (to win), but it's knowing your role, owning your role and also just being tough," Cunningham said. "We're just too soft right now, and that's not what our identity is."
The blunt comments come after a 100-84 loss to the expansion Portland Fire-a team Indiana beat by 17 points just 10 days prior. The game was also overshadowed by a sideline altercation between superstar guard Caitlin Clark and head coach Stephanie White, which both parties said they have moved past.
Cunningham confirmed the team held a lengthy meeting Monday, lasting nearly two hours, to clear the air. "I think everyone's on a good page right now and ready to work," she said.
All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell downplayed the Clark-White incident, telling reporters, "If you think everything is glitz and glamour, then you're mistaken." She added that the adversity is coming at a useful time.
The Fever currently sit at 4-4, a half-game out of the final playoff spot. While their offense leads the league at 91.8 points per game, their defense is a glaring weakness, allowing 89 points per game-second-worst in the WNBA.
Cunningham noted the team did not even review film of the Portland loss, saying, "We wanted to flush that one, everyone knew it was bad."
The Fever look to right the ship Thursday against Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream.