Phoenix Mercury · 2019—2024

Six seasons,
four different roles

Phoenix drafted her thirteenth overall in 2019 and kept her for six years. Across them she went from twelve minutes a night to almost thirty, from a bench guard to an every-game starter, and back into a rotation role — 182 games in all.

Minutes per game, Phoenix

From twelve minutes to almost thirty

201912.2 min · 5 starts of 32
202018.9 min · 11 starts of 21
202117.5 min · 4 starts of 30
202229.5 min · 20 starts of 28
202329.0 min · 31 starts of 31
202427.7 min · 21 starts of 40

Per-game scoring, shooting and rebounding for each of these seasons is on the statistics page.

Sophie Cunningham in a Phoenix Mercury uniform during a 2023 game against the Minnesota Lynx — Sophie Cunningham playing for the Phoenix Mercury against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center, 7 July 2023. Photo: John Mac, CC BY-SA 2.0. Scaled for delivery and framed by the layout; the file itself is not altered.

Sophie Cunningham in Phoenix Mercury kit before a game at Target Center in May 2024 — Sophie Cunningham before Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx, Target Center, 31 May 2024. Photo: John Mac, CC BY-SA 2.0. Scaled for delivery and framed by the layout; the file itself is not altered.

Before a game at Target Center, 31 May 2024 — her sixth and final Phoenix season.

2019—2021: a rotation guard

Second round, 13th overall, 2019 WNBA Draft — Phoenix Mercury. As a rookie she played 32 games at 12.2 minutes and 3.1 points. The 2020 season was shortened and she started 11 of 21 games; in 2021 she came off the bench in 26 of her 30 appearances but shot 41.0% from three, her first efficient shooting season as a professional.

2022: the largest role

In 2022 she started 20 of 28 games and played 29.5 minutes a night, up from 17.5 the year before. Her scoring rose to 12.6 points and her rebounding to 4.4, both career highs that still stand, and she shot 40.0% from three and 87.5% from the line. The change is visible in usage rather than in shooting percentages: the shooting was similar to 2021, the minutes were not.

2023: every game a start

She started all 31 games she appeared in — the only season of her career in which starts and appearances match — at 29.0 minutes and 11.3 points, with a career-best 2.1 assists. Her three-point percentage fell to .337, the lowest of her four full Phoenix seasons after 2020.

2024: more games, fewer starts

2024 was the busiest season of her career by appearances, 40 games, but she started 21 of them at 27.7 minutes and averaged 8.4 points. Her three-point shooting recovered to .378. Across the six years in Phoenix she averaged 7.7 points and shot .362 from three.

How it ended

2 February 2025

In the Indiana—Phoenix leg of the deal, Indiana acquired Cunningham and the No. 19 pick in the 2025 draft, and Phoenix received NaLyssa Smith and the No. 8 pick. The wider transaction was a multi-team deal, and it ended six seasons in Phoenix.

Source: Indiana Fever release — Fever acquire guard Sophie Cunningham, 2 February 2025.

The story of the trade →What happened in Indiana →The full career chronology →

Sources: Basketball Reference — Sophie Cunningham (season figures); Basketball Reference — Sophie Cunningham (draft); Indiana Fever release — Fever acquire guard Sophie Cunningham (trade). Checked 7 September 2026.

Next chapter

Indiana Fever, 2025 onwards