“We’ve some tricks up our sleeve now” – Sophie Cunningham claims to decode Becky Hammon’s strategy to hack Kelsey Mitchell’s offense in Game 3 vs Aces
Heading into Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals, Sophie Cunningham expressed confidence in the Indiana Fever’s chances against the Las Vegas Aces. The Fever kicked off the series with a surprising 89-73 victory, but the Aces bounced back strong, evening the series with a dominant 90-68 win in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Despite the tough loss in Game 2, Cunningham believes Indiana may have found ways to counter the strategies employed by two-time WNBA champion coach Becky Hammon. The 6-foot-1 guard pointed out how Las Vegas’ defense was heavily focused on stopping Kelsey Mitchell, who has been the offensive engine for Indiana throughout the playoffs.
“It was a pretty smart move by Becky, but we have some tricks up our sleeves now,” Cunningham said during her “Show Me Something” podcast on Tuesday (Timestamp: 3:28). “They’re coming into our house. And it’s about to be good. Like, our team’s feeling good. So I’m excited.”
In Game 1, Mitchell was unstoppable, scoring 34 points on 12-for-23 shooting. However, in Game 2’s 22-point loss, the three-time WNBA All-Star was held to just 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting. Odyssey Sims stepped up for Indiana in Game 2 with 18 points and seven assists, while Lexie Hull—playing through a back injury—contributed 15 points, including five 3-pointers.
For the Aces, back-to-back WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led the way with 25 points and nine rebounds. NaLyssa Smith added 18 points, Jackie Young scored 13, and Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans each chipped in 10 points.
### Cunningham Highlights Key Areas in Fever’s Surprise Game 1 Win
In the same episode of her podcast, Cunningham broke down the elements that led to Indiana’s strong performance in Game 1.
“I think like overall, what made us so good the first game is like our attention to detail and our sense of urgency with the ball and to get in our offense and to get in our defense and to get in our schemes, all of that was from the jump,” Cunningham said (Timestamp: 4:34). “Like punched them in the mouth early.”
Though the Fever played considerably differently in their Game 2 loss, Cunningham remains optimistic about the team’s chances as the series shifts back to Indiana.
### Looking Ahead: Pressure on the Aces
With the semifinals series tied 1-1, the pressure now shifts to the No. 2-seeded Las Vegas Aces as Game 3 takes place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday. The sixth-seed Fever have an opportunity to take a 2-1 lead in this best-of-five matchup.
If necessary, Game 4 will be held on Sunday. Should the series extend to a deciding Game 5, that contest will be played on Tuesday at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
As the Fever prepare to defend their home court, fans can expect an intense and exciting continuation of this closely contested series.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/wnba/news-we-ve-tricks-sleeve-now-sophie-cunningham-claims-decode-becky-hammon-s-strategy-hack-kelsey-mitchell-s-offense-game-3-vs-aces
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