The WNBA off-season is in full swing and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is a topic of conversation that doesn’t involve the court. Fans of the veteran sharpshooter, who is known for her explosive energy and competitive nature, recently witnessed a special homecoming, which may have brought a tear to their eyes.
REWIND TO BEGINNING
Cunningham visited her college alma mater recently when she returned to Columbia, Missouri, with her older sister Lindsey Cunningham Hudson.
Athlon Sports
The official Mizzou Women’s Basketball Instagram account documented the visit with a carousel of photos of the Cunningham sisters with players of the current Tigers team. The post was captioned with a plain yellow heart emoji (“”), and it quickly garnered social media buzz.
Within moments, Cunningham responded to the post in the comments to assure everyone she still supports her old team: “MIZ!!!”
Fans’ Reaction and a Rich History
The comment section was flooded with love for the guard with fans tagging her with love. Replies ranged from affectionate murmurs such as “World’s sweetheart” and “Queen of the court” to fans imagining her future on the sideline with one saying, “A Coach Sophie somewhere to help produce the next gen of players would be awesome!”
In her WNBA debut, the forward-turned-guard-turned-forward-great helped cement her legend as a Missouri star long before she began her path to that league-first play with the Phoenix Mercury and then the Indiana Fever. The Missouri native made the most of a brilliant four-year career, scoring a school-record 2,187 career points.
Looking Ahead to a Pivotal Offseason
While Cunningham is relishing her needed respite and catching up with college friends, she has a significant piece of business to attend to in the coming days and weeks. Since the coaches’ decision to knock Indiana out of the playoff, the 6-foot-1 guard has been in demand.
At least for now, though, “Coach Sophie” and her enduring bonds to Mizzou serve as a reminder to fans as to why she is one of the most-loved figures in women’s basketball.