COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) is one of 20 athletes named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list, as announced by ESPN. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year, presented by Wendy’s, the nation’s top individual honor.
Last season, Cunningham was named to the Wooden Award preseason top 30, midseason top 25, late season top 20 and the national ballot.
The watch list will be narrowed to 15 finalists and will be revealed before the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the Wooden Award will be announced April 12 at the College Basketball Awards.
Cunningham was named the SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 21 and is averaging 17.8 points per game over her last 15 contests. The SEC honor was a conference-leading 10th for Cunningham, and the fourth time she has been named the SEC Player of the Week. In 2015-16, Cunningham earned a conference record six Freshman of the Week honors. On the season, Cunningham ranks fifth in the SEC in scoring with 16.6 points per game.
Cunningham scored 30 points and drained a season-high six three-pointers in Mizzou’s 74-65 win over Auburn on Jan. 27, moving the Tiger senior into third-place on Mizzou’s all-time scoring list with 1,928 points. She surpassed Julie Helm, who scored 1,925 points from 1996-00. Cunningham also reached 200 made three-pointers in the game, becoming just the third player in Mizzou history to reach that mark.
Cunningham’s 30-point game was her second of the season, and the ninth of her career. She is the SEC’s only player this season to record multiple 30-point games, and now has the third-most 30-point games of any Mizzou player (nine), trailing only Renee Kelly’s 16 and Joni Davis’ 13. In Cunningham’s 30-point performances, Mizzou is 7-2 overall.
Cunningham is the SEC career active scoring leader with 1,942 points, and ranks sixth in career rebounds (626) and seventh in assists (361). Among program records, Cunningham currently ranks second in career three-point percentage (.407), third in scoring (1,942 points), third in free throw percentage (.829), third in three-pointers made (204), fourth in career points per game (16.6) and fifth in assists (361).
Last season, Cunningham earned AP All-America Honorable Mention and All-SEC First Team honors for the second consecutive season after averaging 18.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 54 percent from the field (54.2 percent, 186-for-343), 45 percent from three (45.7 percent, 69-for-151) and 83 percent from the free throw line (83.6 percent, 133-for-159).
Mizzou returns home to Mizzou Arena to face No. 18 Texas A&M on Thursday, Feb. 7. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —