Sophie Cunningham (basketball)

Last updated
Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham 2023 (cropped).jpg
Cunningham with the Phoenix Mercury in 2023
No. 8–Indiana Fever
Position Shooting guard / small forward
League WNBA
Personal information
Born (1996-08-16) August 16, 1996 (age 29)
Columbia, Missouri, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
High school Rock Bridge
(Columbia, Missouri)
College Missouri (2015–2019)
WNBA draft 2019: 2nd round, 13th overall pick
Drafted by Phoenix Mercury
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–2024 Phoenix Mercury
2019–2020 Melbourne Boomers
2025–present Indiana Fever
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Sophie Elizabeth Cunningham (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers.

Contents

Early life and education

Cunningham was born August 16, 1996, to Jim and Paula Cunningham. [1] Her parents were both student athletes at the University of Missouri, along with other members of her family. [1] She achieved a black belt in taekwondo at age six. [2] [3]

Cunningham attended Rock Bridge High School, starring on the girls' basketball and volleyball teams. When the kicker on the football team had their season ended with an ACL tear, Cunningham joined the football team as their kicker as well, going two for four on FG attempts. [2] [3] [4]

College career

Cunningham played four seasons of college basketball at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri for the Tigers. [5] In 129 career starts, Cunningham averaged 17.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.0 apg for the Tigers.

Professional career

Phoenix Mercury (2019–2025)

Cunningham was selected as the thirteenth (13th) overall pick, the first pick in the second round, of the 2019 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury. [6] [7] Cunningham was the eighth University of Missouri alum to be drafted into the WNBA and was the highest selection for a former Tiger.

Indiana Fever (2025–present)

On January 31, 2025, Cunningham was traded to the Indiana Fever in a four-team trade that also included the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun. [8] [9] [10] Cunningham has earned recognition as the Fever's enforcer after she was ejected from a game against the Connecticut Sun for grabbing Jacy Sheldon and pulling her to the ground in retribution for Sheldon poking teammate Caitlin Clark in the eye earlier in the game. [2] [3] [11] The incident went viral. [12] [13]

In the second quarter of the Fever's match-up at Connecticut on August 17, Cunningham left the game with a right knee injury after Connecticut Sun guard, Bria Hartley, stumbled into the paint and fell into Cunningham's leg. [14] On August 19, the Fever stated that Cunningham would be out for the remainder of the Fever's season due to her right knee injury. [15] Cunningham confirmed reports of her tearing her right MCL, on her August 19 episode of her podcast, "Show Me Something." [16] [17]

Analyst career

In December 2022, Cunningham became a recurring analyst for the Phoenix Suns on their Suns Live! pregame, halftime, and post-game TV coverage. [18] [19]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current through end of 2025 season
WNBA regular season statistics [20]
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2019 Phoenix 32512.2.354.304.8821.40.80.30.10.63.1
2020 Phoenix 211118.9.385.235.8801.00.80.50.10.75.0
2021 Phoenix 30417.5.437.410.7042.01.10.50.20.55.6
2022 Phoenix 282029.5.449.400.8754.41.61.00.41.012.6
2023 Phoenix 313129.0.413.337.8752.82.10.60.41.511.3
2024 Phoenix 402127.8.429.378.8703.92.01.00.31.08.4
2025 Indiana 301325.2.469.432.8753.51.21.00.11.18.6
Career7 years, 2 teams21210523.1.428.372.8612.81.40.70.20.97.9

Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2019 Phoenix 108.01.0001.000°.0000.00.00.00.00.03.0
2020 Phoenix 209.5.500.333—1.00.00.00.01.52.5
2021 Phoenix 8217.5.484.5651.0002.10.80.30.90.86.4
2022 Phoenix 2231.0.455.375.3332.52.00.50.02.57.5
2024 Phoenix 2231.5.500.429—4.53.51.50.50.56.5
2025 Indiana Did not play (injury)
Career5 years, 1 team15619.5.491.500.6252.21.10.40.51.05.8

College

NCAA statistics
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2015–16 Missouri 323230.1.502.356.8315.83.01.10.32.414.0
2016–17 Missouri 313132.9.482.379.8485.33.40.90.33.417.5
2017–18 Missouri 313132.7.542.457.8364.73.00.80.13.018.5
2018–19 Missouri 353534.3.481.403.8395.92.81.20.32.917.8
Career12912937.5.501.403.8395.43.01.00.32.917.0

References

  1. 1 2 "2018-19 Women's Basketball Roster". University of Missouri. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Young, Grant (June 18, 2025). "Sophie Cunningham's High School Football Exploits Resurface After Fever-Sun Skirmish". Sports Illustrated .
  3. 1 2 3 Joseph, Sean (June 18, 2025). "Caitlin Clark's Enforcer Sophie Cunningham is a Black Belt Who Used to Bloody Her Own Sister". Outkick .
  4. ↑ Quinanola, Derick (July 17, 2025). "Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham had brief high school football career before committing to basketball". Yahoo! Sports . Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Sophie Cunningham - Women's Basketball - University of Missouri Athletics". mutigers.com.
  6. ↑ "Sophie Cunningham Drafted by the Phoenix Mercury" . Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Cunningham Makes Phoenix Mercury's Opening Night Roster". mutigers.com. May 23, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Sources: Mercury getting Satou Sabally from Wings in 3-team trade" . Retrieved Jan 31, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Sources: Report: Mercury acquire All-Star Satou Sabally from Wings, trade Sophie Cunningham" . Retrieved Jan 31, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Transactions". WNBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 2, 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025. Sophie Cunningham was traded from the Phoenix Mercury to the Indiana Fever.
  11. ↑ Harding, Amber (17 March 2025). "Sophie Cunningham Promises to 'Stick up For' Caitlin Clark, New Fever Teammates". Outkick .
  12. ↑ Owens, Jason (June 17, 2025). "Watch: Caitlin Clark poked in eye by Jacy Sheldon, shoved by Marina Mabrey, sparking scuffles between Fever, Sun". Yahoo! Sports . Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  13. ↑ Ganguli, Tania (September 1, 2025). "She Avenged Caitlin Clark on the Court. Now Sponsors (and the Right) Love Her". The New York Times . Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  14. ↑ Haenchen, Brian (August 17, 2025). "When it rains, it pours. Sophie Cunningham latest Fever player to go down with injury". The Indianapolis Star . Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Indiana Fever Provide Update on Sophie Cunningham, Additional Roster Moves". Indiana Fever . WNBA. August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  16. ↑ Haenchen, Brian; Peterson, Chloe (August 19, 2025). "Sophie Cunningham latest Fever player to suffer season-ending injury: 'It's deja vu, man'". The Indianapolis Star . Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Sophie Cunningham Talks Torn MCL, Caitlin Clark's Recovery & Summer House Stories with West Wilson". YouTube . Show Me Something with Sophie & West. August 19, 2025. Event occurs at 1:02. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Phoenix Mercury Guard Sophie Cunningham to Join Suns Broadcast Team as Guest Analyst". NBA.com. December 15, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ "See Sophie Cunningham on Suns Live! and on the Court". USA Today. April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sophie Cunningham WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
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