Former Mizzou Standout Sophie Cunningham Set to Open WNBA Season with Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark
For the first time in her seven-year career, former Mizzou Star Sophie Cunningham will be representing a new team when the WNBA season tips off this weekend.
Cunningham, who was dealt from the Phoenix Mercury in February as part of a four-team trade, is expected to suit up alongside Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Saturday afternoon when they host Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
"and just like that, training camp is complete. come on year 7!," Cunningham posted to her instagram account on Thursday. To which her new teammate Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, replied "Let's get to ittttt."
Advertisement
Fever second-year head coach Stephanie White said during Thursday's shoot around that Cunningham is "day-to-day," after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason. But the 28-year-old guard was quick to dismiss, saying she's ready to play.
Cunningham, and former Dallas Wings guard Jaelyn Brown - also acquired in the four-team trade - are among several new additions to the Fever roster this season.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) hugs Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark (22).Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The team added former WNBA All-Stars DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, two-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson, and Brianna Turner all in free agency. Rookie Makayla Timpson, the 19th-overall pick out of Florida State, also made the 11-player opening day roster.
Advertisement
In their WNBA Season Preview released on Thursday, ESPN ranked the Fever as the fourth-best team in the league. Issuing a bold, yet realistic, prediction, André Snellings wrote: "The Fever, who were fifth in 3-pointers per game (9.2) last season, could be first this year with Cunningham and Bonner joining sharpshooters Clark and [Kelsey] Mitchell."
Cunningham, who was announced as the first member of the 2025 Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame Class last month, is the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,187 career points.
Across her first six seasons in the WNBA, she has totaled 1,409 career points.
Saturday she'll look to score her first points for the Fever.
Advertisement
Related: Local Legend Named to Mizzou Athletics 2025 Hall of Fame Class
Related: Kellie Harper Announced as Mizzou Women's Basketball Head Coach
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Connecticut Sun are struggling at start of rebuild with losses in six of first seven games
Tina Charles returned to the Connecticut Sun knowing the franchise was rebuilding. The WNBA's all-time leading rebounder didn't care because it was a chance to come full circle with the team that drafted her No. 1 in 2010. So far on the court it's been a rough start to the season for the Sun, who have lost six of their first seven games, including suffering the worst defeat in franchise history in their last outing — a 48-point loss to New York. 'I thought worse off this would happen,' Charles said. 'You have whole new players, a new coach, a new system. I knew there was going to be growing pains as a team and as coaches, but I think we've been able to have good conversations in the sense of what needs to be our approach.' It's not a real surprise that the Sun are struggling. Connecticut lost all five starters from last season's team that made it to at least the playoff semifinals for the sixth consecutive season. No team in WNBA history has had as much changeover from one year to the next as the Sun have had. Charles and Marina Mabrey are two of the veteran players on the squad that's still searching for its identity. 'This is a new cycle for us and we are not a finished product so we had to understand sometimes we have some bad days,' first-year Connecticut coach Rachid Meziane said after the loss to New York. 'Try to fix and reduce our mistakes.' Connecticut has lost its six games by an average of 21.7 points — the worst in the league. Even with the struggles, Charles is hoping to be a mentor for some of the younger players such as Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Aneesah Morrow. Morrow was the No. 7 pick in the draft this season. 'I get to do what I love. I get to do it back with the organization that believed in me first,' Charles said. 'Get to impact them. Just to see the growth within my players, not just as basketball players, but as a woman off the court. That's really what the goal is. I'm just more so happy that I'm able to impact these guys, especially Olivia and just what her future is going to look like.' Off the court the team's future is unclear. The Mohegan Tribe, which owns the franchise, is exploring a potential sale of the team. It hired an investment bank to explore the possibility, which may lead to a relocation of the franchise. If the Sun do end up moving, one potential destination could be Boston. The Sun played a regular-season game there last year that sold out. The team will face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in Boston in July. The group in Boston that includes former NBA player Michael Carter-Williams, which is interested in getting a franchise in Massachusetts' capital, declined to comment to The Associated Press at this time when asked if it was interested in buying the Sun. ___ AP WNBA:
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
The Seattle Storm are showing us how flimsy culture can be
The Seattle Storm are showing us how flimsy culture can be Culture is a simple yet powerful word. We use it to describe so much about ourselves, the things we do, the places we go and the people we interact with. There's a sense of pride that comes with it. You're proud of the place you come from and the things that molded you — both good and bad. There's also a sense of ownership attached. You feel protective of it. Nobody can come for your culture, lest they want to face the ire of you and the countless others who are represented by it. Yes, indeed, culture is powerful. But it's also flimsy. Something so strong and so deep can also easily be wiped away by time. Unfortunately for the Seattle Storm, that's where this team that was once the crème de la crème of the WNBA finds itself. For as long as I can remember, the Storm have been one of the best organizations in the WNBA. The team has made the playoffs in 19 of its 26 seasons. It only took Seattle four years to win its first championship in 2004. We're only four years removed from the Dan Hughes era, when Seattle won two more championships with a core led by Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd. It's hard to establish winning cultures in sports — especially in the WNBA, where the league has traditionally lacked for resources. But it's always felt to me like the Seattle Storm have been a cut above the rest of the league. But after two back-to-back complaints filed against the team by players within the last seven months, it certainly doesn't feel that way anymore. THE EYE OF THE STORM: The complaints against the Seattle Storm, explained The WNBA is reportedly reviewing a complaint alleging that a confrontation occurred following the Storm's loss to the Aces, during which an assistant coach allegedly cursed at a player. Now, that sounds generally benign. Coaches surely curse at players at the time. For this to reach the level of a complaint needing to be filed, it had to be something incredibly vile that needed looking into. News of the most recent complaint followed news of Li Yueru formally requesting a trade from the team less than three weeks into the season. There's no clear connection between these two things, but it's hard to feel like they're unrelated considering the circumstances. And this all follows the drama of the first complaint filed following the end of the 2024 season that was followed by Jewell Loyd's trade request. There's something funky going on in Seattle. I'm not sure what it is but I am sure that it's a shame that this is happening. This organization was winning championships just a few years ago. Now, it has more complaints filed against it in the last seven months than it does playoff wins in its last three seasons. The winning culture that was established in Seattle has faded. Now, it seems, the team's culture is chaos. Off to a good start If there's one thing we can say about the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals this year, it's that it certainly isn't going to go the same way the 2024 version between the Panthers and Oilers did. Thanks to this overtime goal from Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers won't start the series down 0-2. That's a crucial win for Edmonton — one that certainly wasn't guaranteed. Florida held the lead for most of the game before Edmonton tied things up in the third period. Usually, when the Panthers strike first, they win. But not here. The winner of Game 1 wins the series 76 percent of the time, according to ESPN. This series is far from over — there's a lot of hockey still left to be played. But the Oilers are in a good spot. Derek Carr is a better man than me Former Saints quarterback Derek Carr retired earlier this offseason because of a nagging shoulder injury that would've likely impacted his throwing ability for the rest of his career had he continued. Retiring was reasonable. With his sudden retirement, though, Carr walked away from $30 million he was set to earn this season, according to Front Office Sports. So how'd he come to such a decision? Well, apparently, he just didn't want to take the Saints' money for nothing. Seriously. Here's what he told FOS: 'That part was tough because I didn't want to have surgery and just sit there and—it sounds crazy but—just take the Saints money,' Carr said. That's extremely noble and honorable. It's also very obviously coming from a man who is already rich in a way that I, and many of you, are not. Because — let me tell you something — if that was me? Ain't no way I'm leaving $30 million on the table. Heck, I wouldn't even leave $50 on the table. Shoutout to Derek Carr, though. A real standup guy. Quick hits: Stanley Cup travel ... Betting on the Madden Curse ... and more — Here's Michelle Martinelli on the travel distance for the Stanley Cup Finals. This is insane. — Blake Schuster has more on a bettor who decided to drop $15k on Saquon Barkley suffering from the Madden Curse. — The Oklahoma City Thunder's path to the NBA Finals started all the way back in 2007. — ESPN might be shaking up its broadcast crew after the Finals. Robert Zeglinski has details. — Johnnie Bryant seems like the guy for the Knicks right now. Bryan Kalbrosky has more. — The new wicked trailer is here, y'all! That's a wrap. Thanks for reading, gang. Appreciate you. -Sykes ✌️ This was For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here's Mike Sykes.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Carson Hocevar Opts for Text Over Talk in Aftermath of Stenhouse Jr. Crash
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Days after controversy erupted during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, Carson Hocevar confirmed that he got in touch with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. It all began after Hocevar crashed into Stenhouse Jr. from behind, causing him to lose control of his No. 47 car. He then crashed into the wall and finished the race in last position. Hocevar, on the other hand, secured second place. Stenhouse Jr. recently reported that Hocevar had not called him, and even hinted at retaliation in the upcoming race in Michigan. However, Hocevar said in a recent update that he texted Stenhouse Jr. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he said: Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Gainbridge/WNBA All Star '25 Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Pit Road Qualifying Entry/Exit Practice (Open) at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 16, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North... Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Gainbridge/WNBA All Star '25 Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Pit Road Qualifying Entry/Exit Practice (Open) at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 16, 2025 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. More"We texted a little bit back and forth and I think we'll still talk. You see each other 38 weekends a year. Eventually, you're going to run into each other. Not literally, hopefully, but run into each other in person. I think it's better if you're going to have that talk or conversation, to do it before you get to the track and everyone gets into race mode. "Yeah, he wanted to have that conversation, so I just texted him to reach out or whatever. We'll probably have that talk and see where it goes." The 22-year-old racer stated further that his move was unintentional and that he feels bad for wrecking Stenhouse Jr.'s car. He said: "I know my intentions and what I thought was gonna happen. Ultimately, you don't want to wreck anybody's race car. You don't want to wreck anybody. [Spire co-owner] Jeff Dickerson tells me all the time that if you're explaining, you're losing. With us talking about this, instead of talking about how we can get ourselves one spot better, we're talking about this. "I didn't want to wreck him. I went in and I thought I could get there and get a little more space. For his arc, I thought he was gonna go run the middle with the 54 [Ty Gibbs] running the bottom and thought I could get in a little deeper and have his spotter call inside and he just came all the way down and I landed into his left rear. Backed him into the fence. I don't wanna do that and I feel bad for it, obviously, for wrecking somebody's race car. "I think the biggest thing is the story we want is the fact we ran second with the 77 car. Don't think anyone remembers Ryan Blaney won the race because all they're talking about is this so far. I think that's the biggest thing is we don't want to slow ourselves down by having these clouds over our heads just as a team or put any more targets on my back. I've created the world I live in of that reputation; I understand that. You don't want to do anything more to put a bigger target on your back."
