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About SophieIndependent

The career, by date

Twelve seasons,
2015 to 2026

Four years at Missouri and eight WNBA seasons with Phoenix and Indiana, in date order.

Missouri

2015 — 2019

  1. 2015

    Arrives at Missouri

    Comes to the University of Missouri from Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, a McDonald's All-American after four state titles.

  2. 2015—16

    SEC Freshman of the Year

    Scores a school-record 42 points against Wake Forest in her fourth college game, and starts every game as a freshman. Named SEC Freshman of the Year.

  3. 9 March 2019

    Programme scoring record

    Scores 33 against Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament semifinal to pass Joni Davis's record of 2,126, finishing the game on 2,157.

    The Missouri years

  4. 2019

    Leaves with 2,187 points

    Finishes a four-year, 129-game college career as Missouri's all-time leader in points and in free throws made, with 537. Named AP and USBWA Third-Team All-America.

Phoenix Mercury

2019 — 2024

  1. April 2019

    Drafted 13th overall

    Taken by the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the WNBA Draft, at 13, the highest any Missouri woman had been picked.

  2. 2019—2021

    Bench years

    Three rotation seasons, from 12.2 minutes a night as a rookie to a 41.0% three-point season in 2021, the year Phoenix reached the WNBA Finals.

  3. 2022

    Her biggest role

    Starts 20 of 28 games, averages 12.6 points and 29.5 minutes — the high point of both.

  4. 2023

    Every-game starter

    Starts all 31 games she appears in, averaging 11.3 points and a career-best 2.1 assists.

    Phoenix Mercury

  5. 2024

    Final Phoenix season

    Plays 40 games, starting 21, and ends six seasons with 182 games for the franchise.

Indiana Fever

2025 — present

  1. 2 February 2025

    Traded to Indiana

    Moves to the Indiana Fever in a multi-team deal.

  2. 21 April 2025

    Mizzou Hall of Fame announced

    Named to the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2025, in her first year of eligibility.

  3. 1 July 2025

    Commissioner's Cup

    Indiana beats Minnesota 74—59 in the final in Minneapolis; her first professional championship.

  4. 19 August 2025

    Season ends early

    Ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 season; Indiana plays its post-season without her.

  5. 12 September 2025

    Inducted at Mizzou Arena

    Formally inducted into Missouri's athletics Hall of Fame at a public ceremony, one of six in the class.

  6. April 2026

    Re-signs for one year

    Returns to Indiana on a one-year deal, reported at $665,000 — an outcome she called frustrating on her own podcast, having wanted longer-term stability.

    Contract & salary

  7. 9 May 2026

    Back on the floor

    Plays the season opener, her first game since the knee injury: 3 points and 4 rebounds in a 107—104 loss to Dallas.

  8. 11—13 June 2026

    One game missed

    Ruled out against Chicago with a right-elbow issue and back in the line-up two days later.

  9. 22 August 2026

    Playoff place clinched

    Indiana clinches a third consecutive post-season berth, at 24—13 at the time of the report.

    Indiana Fever

  10. 24 September 2026

    Regular season ends

    Indiana's regular season finishes on 24 September 2026 and the playoffs begin on 27 September. Figures for 2026 run through 7 September 2026.

Sophie Cunningham shooting the ball during a May 2024 Phoenix Mercury game
Photo: John Mac · CC BY-SA 2.0

Role by season

Minutes and starts, 2019—2026

One measure of how her job has changed: minutes per game, with the share of her appearances she started.

  • 2019

    12.2 MPG · started 5 of 32

  • 2020

    18.9 MPG · started 11 of 21

  • 2021

    17.5 MPG · started 4 of 30

  • 2022

    29.5 MPG · started 20 of 28

  • 2023

    29.0 MPG · started 31 of 31

  • 2024

    27.7 MPG · started 21 of 40

  • 2025

    25.2 MPG · started 13 of 30

  • 2026*

    22.7 MPG · started 3 of 39

*2026 figures run through 7 September 2026. Full per-game averages and shooting splits, with her Phoenix and Indiana splits, are on the statistics page. Career total to date: 251 regular-season games, 108 of them started.

Sources: Basketball Reference — Sophie Cunningham (season figures) and the reporting listed on the sources and methodology page. Checked 8 September 2026.