For the writer, see Sophie Cunningham (writer).
Sophie Cunningham
LeagueWNBA
TeamIndiana Fever
Number8
PositionShooting guard / small forward
Height6 ft
Height in1
Weight lbs156
Birth dateAugust 16, 1996 (age 30)
Birth placeColumbia, Missouri, U.S.
High schoolRock Bridge
(Columbia, Missouri)
CollegeMissouri (2015–2019)
Draft leagueWNBA
Draft year2019
Draft round2
Draft pick13
Draft teamPhoenix Mercury
Career start2019
Years 1–
Team 1Phoenix Mercury
Years 22019–2020
Team 2Melbourne Boomers
Team 3Indiana Fever
Years 3–present
Highlights

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.

Biography

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]

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

She is a Christian and attributes her confidence and success on the basketball court to God.[5]

College career

Cunningham played four seasons of college basketball at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri for the Tigers.[6] 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.[7][8] Cunningham was the eighth University of Missouri alumna 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.[9][10][11] 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][12] The incident went viral.[13][14]

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.[15] 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.[16] Cunningham confirmed reports of her tearing her right MCL, on her August 19 episode of her podcast, "Show Me Something."[17][18]

On April 12, 2026, it was announced that Cunningham had re-signed with the Fever.[19]

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.[20][21]

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current through end of 2025 season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 32 || 5 || 12.2 || .354 || .304 || .882 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 0.1 || 0.6 || 3.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 21 || 11 || 18.9 || .385 || .235 || .880 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 0.7 || 5.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2021 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 30 || 4 || 17.5 || .437 || .410 || .704 || 2.0 || 1.1 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 0.5 || 5.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2022 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 28 || 20 || 29.5 || .449 || .400 || .875 || 4.4 || 1.6 || 1.0 || 0.4 || 1.0 || 12.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2023 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 31 || 31 || 29.0 || .413 || .337 || .875 || 2.8 || 2.1 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 1.5 || 11.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2024 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 40 || 21 || 27.8 || .429 || .378 || .870 || 3.9 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 1.0 || 8.4 |- |align=left| |align=left|Indiana |30||13||25.2||.469||.432||.875||3.5||1.2||1.0||0.1||1.1||8.6 |- |- class="sortbottom" | style='text-align:left;'| Career | style='text-align:left;'| 7 years, 2 teams | 212 || 105 || 23.1 || .428 || .372 || .861 || 2.8 || 1.4 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 0.9 || 7.9 |}

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 1 || 0 || 8.0 || 1.000 || style="background:#d3d3d3;"|1.000° || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 |- |style="text-align:left;"| 2020 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 2 || 0 || 9.5 || .500 || .333 || — || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.5 || 2.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2021 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 8 || 2 || 17.5 || .484 || .565 || 1.000 || 2.1 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 0.9 || 0.8 || 6.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2022 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 2 || 2 || 31.0 || .455 || .375 || .333 || 2.5 || 2.0 || 0.5 || 0.0 || 2.5 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2024 | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 2 || 2 || 31.5 || .500 || .429 || — || 4.5 || 3.5 || 1.5 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 6.5 |- class="sortbottom" | align="left" | 2025 | align="left" | Indiana | align=center colspan=13| Did not play (injury) |- class="sortbottom" | style='text-align:left;'| Career | style='text-align:left;'| 5 years, 1 team | 15 || 6 || 19.5 || .491 || .500 || .625 || 2.2 || 1.1 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 5.8 |}

College

|- |style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16 |style="text-align:left;"| Missouri | 32 || 32 || 30.1 || .502 || .356 || .831 || 5.8 || 3.0 || 1.1 || 0.3 || 2.4 || 14.0 |- |style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17 |style="text-align:left;"| Missouri | 31 || 31 || 32.9 || .482 || .379 || .848 || 5.3 || 3.4 || 0.9 || 0.3 || 3.4 || 17.5 |- |style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18 |style="text-align:left;"| Missouri | 31 || 31 || 32.7 || .542 || .457 || .836 || 4.7 || 3.0 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 3.0 || 18.5 |- |style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19 |style="text-align:left;"| Missouri | 35 || 35 || 34.3 || .481 || .403 || .839 || 5.9 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 0.3 || 2.9 || 17.8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 129 || 129 || 37.5 || .501 || .403 || .839 || 5.4 || 3.0 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 2.9 || 17.0

References

  1. ^ "2018-19 Women's Basketball Roster". University of Missouri. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  2. ^ Young, Grant (June 18, 2025). "Sophie Cunningham's High School Football Exploits Resurface After Fever-Sun Skirmish". Sports Illustrated
  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. ^ Doering, Joshua (September 28, 2021). "Sophie Cunningham providing spark for Phoenix Mercury in WNBA playoffs, playing to glorify God". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  6. ^ "Sophie Cunningham - Women's Basketball - University of Missouri Athletics". mutigers.com.
  7. ^ "Sophie Cunningham Drafted by the Phoenix Mercury". Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  8. ^ "Cunningham Makes Phoenix Mercury's Opening Night Roster". mutigers.com. May 23, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  9. ^ Andrews, Kendra & Philippou, Alexa (2025-02-01). "Mercury get Satou Sabally from Wings in 4-team trade". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  10. ^ Weiner, Alex (2025-01-31). "Report: Mercury add Satou Sabally, trade Sophie Cunningham". Arizona Sports. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ Harding, Amber (17 March 2025). "Sophie Cunningham Promises to 'Stick up For' Caitlin Clark, New Fever Teammates". Outkick
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Indiana Fever Provide Update on Sophie Cunningham, Additional Roster Moves". Indiana Fever. WNBA. August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "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. pp. 1:02. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  19. ^ Feinberg, Doug (April 12, 2026). "All-Star Gabby Williams joins the Valkyries on a multiyear deal and Alyssa Thomas returns to Phoenix". Associated Press. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  20. ^ "Phoenix Mercury Guard Sophie Cunningham to Join Suns Broadcast Team as Guest Analyst". NBA.com. December 15, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  21. ^ "See Sophie Cunningham on Suns Live! and on the Court". USA Today. April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.