COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) is the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, announced by the conference office Tuesday. Cunningham averaged 23.5 points per game in Mizzou’s games against nationally-ranked Kentucky (Jan. 24) and Auburn (Jan. 27), and recorded her ninth career 30-point game Sunday.
Cunningham has now won a conference-leading 10 weekly honors in her career. This is 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 nods.
Cunningham scored 30 points and drained a season-high six three-pointers in Mizzou’s 74-65 win over Auburn Sunday, moving the Tiger senior moved 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.
The Tiger senior also scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished two assists against Kentucky on Jan. 24. Cunningham was efficient in her shooting over the week, as she shot 51.9 percent from the field (14-for-27), 47.4 percent from three (9-for-19) and 83.3 percent from the free throw line (10-for-12).
Over her last four games, the two-time All-America Honorable Mention is averaging 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 85.0 percent (17-for-20) from the free throw line. On the season, Cunningham is leading the team in scoring (16.6 ppg) and assists (3.0 apg), while grabbing 5.9 rebounds per game.
After being the nation’s only player to shoot better than 54 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 83 percent from the free throw line in 2017-18, Cunningham has been shooting efficiently once again this season. Cunningham is shooting 48.4 percent from the field (118-for-244), 40.2 percent from three (47-for-117) and 80.5 percent from the free throw line (82-for-105).
Mizzou returns to action on Monday, Feb. 6, when the Tigers head to LSU for a road contest in Baton Rouge, La. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —