“One of the greatest players in Missouri history. Just look at the stats and the awards!”
Sophie Elizabeth Cunningham was born on August 16, 1996, in Columbia, Missouri. She grew up in a sports-oriented family right in the heart of Mizzou Tigers Country. Her parents, Jim and Paula Cunningham, were student-athletes at the University of Missouri and other family members also competed in college athletics.
Cunningham attended Columbia Rock Bridge High School where she starred on the girls’ basketball and volleyball teams. Interestingly, she also filled in as the football team’s kicker for a time after the original kicker was injured.
From early on she demonstrated a competitive nature, driven by both her athletic lineage and personal ambition. Her high school success set her up well for her college career.
Cunningham accepted a scholarship to play for Missouri’s women’s basketball program and in 2015. And by the time she graduated in 2019, the mid-Missouri girl re-wrote the record book for Mizzou Women’s Basketball, while also building her personal brand along the way.
After college, Sophie was drafted into the WNBA as the 13th overall (first pick of the second round) in the 2019 draft by the Phoenix Mercury. In Phoenix, she gradually increased her role—by 2022 she was a regular starter and averaging 12.6 points per game.
Sophie’s professional career has featured both tangible success and off-court expansion into media, advocacy and influence. She established herself as a reliable shooter and contributor with the Mercury. But she was traded to the Indiana Fever in January 2025 in a four-team deal.
In Indiana, her legendary status kept on rising. She was positioned as a physical “enforcer” to complement rising star teammate Caitlin Clark, adding a new dimension to her game. The teammates are now some of the most recognizable players in the WNBA.
Sophie has also expanded her profile beyond basketball. In addition to playing, she has worked as a broadcaster/analyst and launched her own podcast. She uses her platform to discuss sports, culture, and her perspective.
Though she has faced injury setbacks (such as a season-ending knee injury in 2025) and moments of controversy, her upward trajectory shows a multi-faceted success: on-court influence, off-court voice, and legacy building in her home state and beyond.
In 2025 she was inducted into the University of Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of her collegiate achievements and broader contributions.
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