An intense message was sent by Sophie Cunningham from outside the Indiana Fever camp during the WNBA hiatus, originally published by The Sporting News. Make The Sporting News one of your Preferred Sources by clicking this link.
Even though Sophie Cunningham is currently away from the Indiana Fever, she isn’t stopping herself from rallying behind one of her beloved programs. As the WNBA takes a temporary pause for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, Cunningham shifted her focus to the Missouri Tigers. The former Mizzou hoops standout sent a high-energy shoutout to students, former grads, and supporters just as the university kicked off its latest football campaign.
“Hello everyone, Sophie Cunningham here,” she declared in a short clip posted by Mizzou Athletics. “The new football season is officially underway. We are pumped up, we are incredibly thrilled, and we are ready to dominate this season.
“So make sure to show up, bring the noise, and represent your Mizzou spirit. M-I-Z.”
Though it was a brief clip, it perfectly embodied the enthusiasm that Missouri supporters always anticipate from Cunningham. The Indiana guard continues to be vocal, highly energetic, and deeply devoted to the university where she first rose to collegiate basketball fame.
Sophie Cunningham maintains a deep bond with Missouri
Cunningham spent her childhood in Columbia, Mo., and chose to stay in her hometown to play for the Tigers between 2015 and 2019. She established herself as one of the most decorated competitors in the history of Missouri women’s basketball, wrapping up her collegiate tenure as the school’s career scoring leader with 2,187 points. Throughout 129 games, Cunningham posted averages of 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
Additionally, she became the inaugural player from the Missouri women’s basketball program to secure AP All-America recognition, guiding the Tigers to four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri officially celebrated Cunningham’s legacy by welcoming her into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.
Although her professional journey has taken her far from Columbia, Cunningham remains dedicated to celebrating her ties to the university. She actively cheers on various Missouri athletic programs and continues to serve as one of the school’s most prominent sports ambassadors.
Cunningham is now in her eighth year in the WNBA and her second campaign representing Indiana. Over the course of 39 games, she has maintained averages of 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while converting 46.9 percent of her field goal attempts.
The Fever headed into the league’s World Cup hiatus holding a 26-14 record, having already locked in their third consecutive postseason berth. Once the schedule resumes, Indiana will have four remaining matchups in the regular season.
The Tigers back up Cunningham’s confident words on the field
Cunningham predicted that the Tigers were set to dominate, and the team wasted no time proving her right. Ranked No. 25, Missouri cruised to a resounding 54-14 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff during their season-opening matchup on Thursday evening.
Signal-caller Austin Simmons had an efficient outing, completing 17 out of 19 passes for 252 yards and throwing four touchdowns in under two quarters of play. The Tigers established a commanding 40-0 lead by halftime, limiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a mere six yards of total offense during the initial two quarters.
This overwhelming triumph occurred in front of Missouri’s 21st consecutive sold-out home crowd, which also coincided with the unveiling of Memorial Stadium’s newly updated north end zone.
A far more formidable opponent awaits on Sept. 11, when the Tigers hit the road to battle their long-standing rivals, Kansas, in the Border War. However, for at least one evening, Missouri delivered exactly what Cunningham called for. The fans brought the noise, showed their pride, and the team dominated their opponent.
