Who Is Sophie Cunningham? Everything You Need to Know About Phoenix Mercury’s #9

One of the most innovative franchises in the WNBA history has had a quiet decade. They won their last championship in 2014. However, there are still some players in their roster who can turn the tides in their favor in the upcoming campaign. Hardly anyone would argue that one such athlete could be Sophie Cunningham. With the competitiveness and feistiness similar to the WNBA GOAT Diana Taurasi, she made her name known to the world. The 2019 second-round WNBA draft pick emerges from quite an athletic family. One who would not be ashamed to change into a purple jersey with Cunningham beaming whether Phoenix won or lost.

Born in Columbia, Missouri, the 27-year-old Cunningham has become one of the faces of the Mercury today. But first, she was an eight-year-old trying to give her mother some tough competition in the backyard. Sophie was born to Paula, a college-level javelin thrower and Jim, a footballer. She has an older sister Lindsey, who is currently with the Missouri State Tigers as Assistant Director of Development. She was also a Tiger great and led the team in various history-breaking records.

Apart from Sophie’s direct family, other members of the Cunningham house are also blessed with athletic genes. This reins down as a tradition from her grandmother, Elizabeth, who was a basketball and softball player. The Phoenix Mercury star’s grandfather, Paul, and uncle too were footballers. Her aunt was also a hooper. While the competition was always intense in any family game, they still enjoyed being together. As the No. 9 guard herself told Gina Mizell in an interview, “One hour in the driveway always ended up with slamming doors and crying and fighting. But then we only had each other. So, five minutes later, we’d get bored and be like, ‘You want to go back out there and play?'”

Hence, it is safe to say that Sophie’s Taurasi-like need to win comes from the long line of athletic excellence that has moved through the family tree. The Phoenix legend too, agrees that the two share a deeper connection than just being the table toppers for the Arizona-based team.

Sophie Cunningham fits just like a glove with Phoenix

The professional basketball league has a reputation for being ruthless, something Diana Taurasi reminds the rookies time and again. However, when it came to Cunningham, Taurasi already had a feeling. While everyone was always comparing the two, the 5x gold medalist only noticed the 2019 rookie as she entered the training camp. Talking about her new pair, Taurasi said, “Every day she approached practice like, ‘I’m on the team’. She just dove right in.”

While Cunningham has been a part of the Mercury for five years now, her performance in the first three years has rather lagged because of less floor time with an average of 4.5 points per outing.

Fast forward to today, Sophie Cunningham has completely improved her game. In the last couple of years, she has added 11.95 points to the team’s total and is one of the starters now. Her defensive game has also taken a little hike as last year, she averaged 4.4 rebounds per game. Also, currently, she is the third-best scoring leader in the team. Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner are the only ones who precede her in this aspect.

Off the court as well, Sophie Cunnigham exceeds her duty for the Phoenix franchise. She is a model for the Mercury and was also a guest analyst for the Suns’ pregame, halftime, and post-game coverages by the Suns Live on December 15, 2022. So, what’s next for the 6-ft-1 star player?

Next steps for Sophie Cunningham

Back in 2023, Phoenix has re-signed the core member of their team in Cunningham. However, the contract only stands for this season, and in 2025, she can become a free agent. Currently, she is earning a great sum of $152,250 per year through the $304,500/2-year contract. But before she gets the option to switch her team, she has this season to deal with where energetic rookies who are not just confident in themselves but also celebrate the wins of each other also reside.

The Phoenix Mercury will travel to the West Coast Seaport city to face the Storm in three days for a preseason game. After that, they will host the latest winners – LA Sparks for another preseason game. Once the fun is over, they will get serious about improving their ranking as they ended the last year at the lowest pedestal, and also grab a chance to continue in the playoffs.