NEW YORK – Mizzou Women’s Basketball senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the first pick in the second round of Wednesday’s WNBA Draft. Cunningham’s 13th overall selection is the highest a Mizzou player has ever been drafted in the WNBA Draft.
Cunningham surpasses Amanda Lassiter, who was selected by the Houston Comets with the 15th pick of the first round in 2001. Cunningham is the first Mizzou player to be drafted since Bri Kulas in 2014, and the third selection during head coach Robin Pingeton’s tenure, following Kulas and Christine Flores in 2012.
Cunningham received AP and USWBA All-America Third Team and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honors after helping guide Mizzou to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018-19. She earned AP All-America Honorable Mention honors after outstanding sophomore and junior campaigns.
Cunningham was named to her third straight All-SEC First Team by the league’s coaches, becoming the first player in program history to earn All-Conference First Team honors in three consecutive seasons. In addition, she was named to the All-SEC First Team by the Associated Press for the second straight season.
Cunningham closed her Mizzou career as Mizzou’s all-time scoring leader, finishing her historic career with 2,187 points. Among program records, Cunningham also ranks first in free throws made (537), second in three-pointers made (238), third in three-point percentage (40.3), third in free throw percentage (83.9), fourth in points per game (17.0) and fourth in assists (390).
In her senior campaign, Cunningham was the only player to average 17.0 ppg, make 80 three-pointers, make 150 free throws and record 200 rebounds. In conference play, Cunningham led the SEC in three-point shooting (46.5 percent) and threes per game (2.9). She reached 20 points in 16 games this season, including 10 times against SEC opponents, and 30 points four times.
Cunningham earned SEC All-Tournament honors after averaging 25.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg at the SEC Tournament, as she became the first Mizzou player to earn All-Tournament honors since 1994.
— Mizzou Athletics —