Latest news with #RockBridge
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
WNBA's hottest star doesn't look like this anymore
One of the most in-demand and hottest WNBA stars has had quite the glow-up since the days of turning plenty of heads as a blue-chip prep prospect in Mid-Missouri. Through her time as a starter for powerhouse Rock Bridge, where the Bruins won a state championship every year she attended the school, then a straight shot down Providence Road at Mizzou, she has garnered plenty of attention both on and off the court. She was dubbed as 'The Mayor of Columbia' due to her popularity in her hometown, which doubled with opposing Southeastern Conference fan bases despising her. That synergy was only a preview for what she'd accomplish in the WNBA. That dynamo is none other than Indiana Fever bombshell Sophie Cunningham, who has never been more popular in basketball than she is now. Cunningham's team-up with Caitlin Clark put plenty more eyes on the 6-foot-1 guard, who turns 29 on Saturday. Shades of her college days played out in June in a game against the Connecticut Sun, further endearing Cunningham to Fever fans, while raising her notoriety around the league. In January 2018, Cunningham was involved in a fight as a member of the Missouri Tigers against rivals South Carolina. The incident became a fever pitch in her college career, with now Las Vegas Aces leader A'ja Wilson in her senior year for the Gamecocks. 'It's so fun because our league has drawn so much more attention... (and) once you get people there, they fall in love with the game, but they also fall in love with who we are off the court,' Cunningham told the Daily Mail in April. 'I like to go out there, I like to be competitive. I like to be a little bit grimy, a little feisty. But off the court, I like to be girly. I like fashion. I think you can do both.' And it was her feisty side that made headlines a few months ago, when her on-court grit thrust her into the spotlight again. Clark was prodded in the eye by Connecticut's Jacy Sheldon, who had previously been caught in a heated exchange with the Fever guard, before being slammed to the floor by Marina Mabrey in a violent moment that sparked outrage. Mabrey escaped with a mere technical, while Sheldon was handed a flagrant 1. But Cunningham wasn't letting it slide. With 46.1 seconds remaining in the game, Cunningham wrapped her arms around Sun guard Sheldon's head and pulled her to the ground in an act of revenge after her foul on Clark. Cunningham's first six seasons in the WNBA were arguably the first time since she started ninth grade that was not a focal point of her team. In year No 7, especially during Clark's lengthy injury absence, that is no longer the case. And from the offset she made a vow to the rest of the league: She'll back Clark no matter what. Or, as she put it, her job is to be Sabrina Carpenter to Clark, the WNBA's Taylor Swift. Carpenter opened for Swift on her Eras Tour, and Cunningham explained to the Daily Mail: 'Taylor Swift, Caitlin Clark, they're going to do their thing. They're going to have all the eyes, they're going to have anything you can ask for. 'But I just said I'm going to be the Sabrina Carpenter in the corner, being her biggest supporter, doing whatever the team needs... she does a great job of making everyone else around her better. (But) in order to win, it really does take everybody.' Cunningham added: 'We're not taking away from anything that she's done. We want to help her. We want to all win. And I think, let her be the Taylor Swift and we'll all be right there supporting.' She insisted that she would pass on all she mined over six seasons at the Mercury alongside WNBA legends such as Diana Taurasi. 'I've learned how to become a pro. I've learned what she does in order to be great,' Cunningham said. 'Caitlin is going to (get) there. But when you don't have that experience, sometimes you need someone to kind of lean on. So I'm just going to be there for whatever she needs.' Cunningham has come a long way since her start in Columbia, which included playing for Rock Bridge's football team, filling in during the Bruins' playoff run after the starting kicker went down with an ACL injury. Now, she's can't-miss television and a must-follow on social media, drawing plenty of eyes on and off the hardwood.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham had brief high school football career before committing to basketball
The post Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham had brief high school football career before committing to basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints. Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has been in the WNBA for seven seasons. She might not have a lot of individual accolades to her name, but if the W ever had an award to recognize the most athletic player in the league, Cunningham would be at the leaderboard. Sophie Cunningham played just about every sport growing up It's normal for kids to delve into different sports growing up to find one they're most comfortable with. Cunningham was one of them, and then some. Before committing to basketball, Cunningham was heavily invested in three other sports. By the age of six, she earned a black belt in taekwondo. For most of high school, she was a two-sport athlete, splitting time between basketball and volleyball. We used 'most of' in the previous sentence since for a brief time during her senior year, Cunningham also served as the kicker of Rock Bridge's high school football team, even making history as the first female of her school to score for the varsity football team. Why was Cunningham named the team's emergency kicker despite never playing soccer in high school? Cunningham's cannon for a leg was first discovered when she participated in a halftime challenge and made a 45-yard field goal with ease, according to a story published by the Columbia Missourian in 2014. Once the team's main kicker, senior Matt Troyer, suffered a season-ending ACL injury a few weeks later, coach A.J. Ofodile had only one person in mind capable of making PATs. Cunningham agreed and got the biggest ovation from the team when she checked in the game. Cunningham was to serve as the team's kicker for as long as the team stayed alive in the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 6 playoffs. However, the team was eliminated in her debut. She'd finish her football debut making two out of four PATs. 'We talked to the coaches, and they said her job is just to kick and get out of the way,' Sophie Cunningham's mom said. 'I'm still not sure it's the best idea we've ever had. But she liked doing it and she has friends on the team that she's known forever.' Cunningham admitted that after the game, kicking was one of the more nerve-racking experiences she's ever had to face. 'I was so nervous I've never played football before in all my life,' Cunningham said. 'Right when I got the ball for kickoff I couldn't hear anything. I just put the ball down and kicked it.' Toughness is in Sophie Cunningham's DNA. If anyone tries to mess with her or anyone on the Indiana Fever, you can guarantee the outcome won't be close to what they expected. Related: Fans can't believe Shane Gillis' 'Waffle House' jab at Caitlin Clark Related: Fever HC Stephanie White names 'factor' in Caitlin Clark's repeated injuries
