Sophie Cunningham rarely watched WNBA
Sophie Cunningham, an Indiana Fever guard, said she did not watch a WNBA game until her senior year at Missouri. She made the admission while discussing how much the league’s visibility changed after college.
Cunningham explained that WNBA games were harder to find while she was playing college basketball. She contrasted that experience with the league’s wider reach, saying greater exposure has brought more attention to players.
Sophie Cunningham starred at Missouri
Cunningham was a Missouri senior during the 2018 to 2019 season, averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across 35 games while preparing for her first professional basketball career opportunity.
Missouri reached another NCAA Tournament that season, while Cunningham finished her college career as the program’s leading scorer with 2,187 points. Phoenix drafted her only 17 days after Missouri’s season ended.
Sophie Cunningham entered 2019 draft
Phoenix selected Cunningham with the 13th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 WNBA Draft. The choice moved a player with limited league exposure into professional basketball at age 22.
Cunningham entered the draft after shooting 40.3% from 3-point range as a Missouri senior. She also earned Associated Press All-America Third Team honors before beginning her first WNBA training camp with Phoenix.
Sophie Cunningham saw smaller audiences
The WNBA averaged 231,000 viewers on ESPN2 during the 2018 regular season, up 35% from 171,000 one year earlier. That marked the league’s most-watched ESPN2 campaign since the 2014 season nationally.
The ESPN2 audience was growing while Cunningham completed college. By 2024, WNBA regular-season games across ESPN platforms averaged about 1.2 million viewers, showing how much the league’s television reach had expanded.
Sophie Cunningham watched league growth
By 2024, WNBA regular-season games averaged 1.19 million viewers across ESPN platforms, up 170% from 2023. That campaign marked the largest regular-season audience ever recorded across ESPN’s national outlets.
League attendance reached 2,353,735 in 2024, the highest total in 22 years. Indiana drew 340,715 home fans, setting a WNBA team attendance record before Cunningham joined the Fever the following season.
Sophie Cunningham sees broader access
Beginning in 2026, WNBA media agreements guaranteed more than 125 regular-season and playoff games annually across Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon platforms, expanding national distribution through television and major streaming services nationwide.
The agreements guarantee at least 25 regular-season games on Disney platforms, 50 on NBCUniversal platforms, and 30 on Prime Video annually. The full 2026 national schedule expanded further to 216 games and events.
Sophie Cunningham built Phoenix career
Cunningham spent her first six WNBA seasons with Phoenix, appearing in 182 games and averaging 7.7 points per game. She made 254 3-pointers for the Mercury before moving to Indiana ahead of 2025.
Her Phoenix tenure placed Cunningham eighth in franchise games played and fourth in made 3-pointers when Indiana acquired her. Those totals reflect how firmly she established herself during six seasons with one organization.
Sophie Cunningham moved to Indiana
Indiana acquired Cunningham from Phoenix in a four-team trade announced in early 2025. The Fever also received the No. 19 draft pick, while several players and selections moved among four franchises.
The trade gave Cunningham a new role after six seasons with Phoenix. Indiana added an experienced perimeter player who had appeared in the 2021 WNBA Finals and produced several strong 3-point shooting seasons.
Sophie Cunningham won with Fever
Cunningham scored 257 points across 30 games during her first Indiana season in 2025. That total ranked fifth on the Fever despite her appearing in fewer games than several teammates that year.
She scored 13 points and collected seven rebounds in the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup championship game. Indiana defeated Minnesota 74-59, earning the first Commissioner’s Cup title in Fever franchise history that season.
Sophie Cunningham posts steady numbers
Cunningham remains on Indiana’s 2026 roster, wearing No. 8 at guard. Through the Fever’s September 18 game, she averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists during her eighth WNBA season.
Her career averages stand at about 7.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. Cunningham moved from limited exposure in the WNBA in college to an established professional role with the Indiana Fever.
Fun fact: As a 5-year-old soccer player, Cunningham’s family carried her birth certificate because people kept thinking she was much older than she was.
Sophie Cunningham left Missouri records
Before entering the WNBA, Cunningham built one of Missouri’s strongest basketball resumes. She finished with 2,187 career points, 537 made free throws, 238 3-pointers, and 390 assists during four collegiate seasons.
Missouri selected Cunningham for its 2025 Athletics Hall of Fame class. Her college career included four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and All-SEC recognition every season before she entered professional basketball in 2019.
Sophie Cunningham delivered in playoffs
Cunningham produced one of her biggest professional performances during the 2021 playoffs with Phoenix. She scored 21 points and made 6 of 7 3-point attempts as the Mercury defeated New York 83-82.
The performance made Cunningham the third player in WNBA postseason history to score at least 20 points and make at least six 3-pointers while shooting 85% or better, joining Lauren Jackson and Deanna Nolan.
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Sophie Cunningham sees bigger platform
Cunningham has said the WNBA always had strong talent, even before its recent audience growth. She credits wider exposure, larger platforms, and growing commercial interest with helping more people see those players.
Her admission about not watching until college gives that change a personal reference point. Cunningham moved from limited WNBA exposure as a Missouri senior to playing during an era of larger audiences and broader distribution.
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Cunningham barely watched the WNBA before eventually joining it. Does her path show how much the league’s reach has changed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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