Have you learnt the true Sophie Cunningham? The trustworthy reply is, in all probability not. You already know of the Phoenix Mercury sharpshooter, who is understood for having a aggressive hearth that, at occasions, has typically been intertwined with a story that’s adopted her since school. Truly, means earlier than that. In Kindergarten, mother and father scolded her on the soccer subject for being “too aggressive, too tough.” She by no means wavered, not as a high ranked recruit and former McDonald’s All-American in highschool, or at Mizzou, the place she emerged into this system’s all-time main scorer and led her squad to back-to-back-to-back-to-back appearances within the NCAA match.
However even amidst all of that success, the hometown standout couldn’t shake the notion that the fireplace that she exudes on the hardwood—the physicality, the celly’s after big-time performs, the hair flips—are deliberately petty acts by a “soiled participant.” When the Tigers confronted off towards South Carolina through the 2017-18 season, followers booed her any time she received the rock. After which, within the second quarter, a scuffle ensued on the high of the important thing between the Gamecocks and the Tigers, inflicting a surge of backlash surrounding the Tigers, and Cunningham particularly.
“For me, I don’t hearken to all that noise,” she tells us over Zoom in June. “I received that stuff in school, too. We beat South Carolina a number of years in a row and hastily I’m the soiled participant and it’s like, Nah, I’m simply out working. I’m working y’all’s ass, you understand what I imply?
However I can’t actually say that. I’ve been used to it however I simply know that I’ve a really tight circle. I lean on them fairly a bit…For me, I simply wish to be the most effective teammate, I wanna be the most effective competitor [and] I wanna do no matter it takes for my group to win and all that different noise can simply be squashed.”
That was six years in the past, however all through her profession within the WNBA, Cunningham has nonetheless needed to take care of the noise that that is who she is, even off the court docket. There’s been many, many situations of that occuring all through her profession, essentially the most well-known of which being what went down between her and then-Sky star Kahleah Copper throughout Sport 4 of the 2021 WNBA Finals. Everybody was speaking (and tweeting) concerning the controversial second.
However again in 2022, Copper assured us moments like which are all a part of what occurs when aggressive athletes go at it. Some even assumed they’d beef, which Kah squashed. “They count on us to be all good and blissful and shit, like, that’s not the way it goes,” she advised us for the duvet of SLAM 236. “We’re the most effective at what we do. We’re tremendous aggressive.”
After we requested Cunningham not too long ago about how she’s handled these narratives about her, she echoed that very same sentiment. “Thanks for asking that query as a result of I feel that folks see me and it’s so humorous that any time I get a brand new teammate that perhaps, like, they’re aggressive, we sort of go at it. They’re like, Oh, you’re really like, very nice and enjoyable to be round. I’m like, duh. Why can’t I be aggressive on the court docket and why can’t all of us hang around after? I wish to change that narrative for females that it’s OK to compete, it’s OK to play bodily. It’s okay to go on the market, work onerous and sweat after which nonetheless be a pleasant human and a special particular person off the court docket, too. Like, we’re not going towards highschool[ers] or something like that. These are the most effective folks on the planet, so that you gotta deliver it proper.
I feel for me when Kah got here in, I didn’t suppose two issues of it. I used to be simply so blissful that we had been getting one other badass participant on our group that’s gonna assist us win a championship right here quickly. For me, I don’t hearken to all that noise.”
It’s what Cunningham brings to the group that’s allowed her to solidify her position on the Mercury, whether or not she’s been beginning, or as is the case this season, primarily coming off the bench. It has earned her reward from legends like teammate Diana Taurasi, who as soon as described Cunningham to the New York Instances as somebody who likes to “muck it up.”
“Each time Sophie performs, the extent of the sport goes up. And you understand, she’s executed that persistently yearly she’s been on our group. And that’s why she’s so necessary to what we do,” DT stated, per The Subsequent in 2022. Years prior, she gave Cunningham recommendation about remaining true to herself, too. “You’ve been taking part in this sport ever because you had been a child,” Cunningham as soon as recalled Taurasi telling her. “You know the way to play. I’ve seen you. You know the way to play, so simply go on the market and have enjoyable.”
Through the 2022 season, Cunningham dropped a career-high 23 factors towards the Liberty as a starter in July, after which a number of days later, adopted it up with a 36-point efficiency towards the Lynx, together with seven boards and 5 steals, a historic stat line that made her solely the second participant in WNBA historical past to take action. The opposite? Cynthia Cooper in ‘97. Whether or not she’s dropping buckets, pulling down pictures, or dispensing dimes—like she did in her win towards the Storm— her skill to adapt to regardless of the group wants makes her a key part.
And because the WNBA continues to develop, and new followers tune in to observe not simply the Mercury, however throughout the League, there’s a sentiment that moments of competitiveness are private, or that vets are focusing on and/or jealous of the rookies. Cunningham stored it actual about all of this, and in an unique interview, we chopped it up with the star about conversations surrounding Caitlin Clark, her personal profession so far, and her pursuits off the court docket as an analyst for the Suns, exhibiting out within the tunnel and extra.
WSLAM: Hey Sophie! How do you are feeling just like the season goes to this point? What was your mindset going into it?
Sophie Cunningham: You already know, since I’ve been in Phoenix, I’ve been right here occurring my sixth 12 months, it has been a curler coaster. I’m somebody who’s gonna shoot it straight that, like, it has not been essentially the most enjoyable years. I didn’t know if I used to be gonna go to a special group a few these years simply because it’s similar to a lot drama was simply occurring. And so, once we received this new possession, we received an entire new entrance workplace, we received an entire new teaching workers who’re completely simply phenomenal folks and so they do issues the precise means and so they’re all about ensuring us girls have the identical issues as our brothers on the Suns do.
I simply love their method to all the things and after I noticed, the roster that we received, I used to be like, All proper, we’re gonna be legit this 12 months. With that generally folks’s egos get hit slightly bit—I’ve been beginning the previous two or three years, however I knew that I’m gonna have 4 or 5 Olympians on our group. So I’m like, you understand what, I’m right here to win, I’m right here to compete. I’m hopeful to be an Olympian sooner or later, perhaps the three×3 group. So, why would I not wish to encompass myself with individuals who have been the place I wanna go? So, for me, my position does look slightly totally different. I’m coming off the bench this 12 months, however after I inform you, it’s simply a lot enjoyable to be on this group.
It has been like the most effective expertise and everybody’s simply genuinely, actually good folks.
WSLAM: What’s the vibe and power of the group?
SC: Oh my God, we’ve a lot power. Now we have quite a lot of personalities [and] everybody’s simply goofy. I do know that we play basketball, however after I say that we chortle 24/7, [it] in all probability seems like an excessive amount of generally as a result of like, hey, I’ll want to love dial it in slightly bit. It’s enjoyable although as a result of we do compete at such a excessive stage, however proper when the ball stops, we’re all similar to goofing round having a superb time.
WSLAM: Out of your perspective, how has your sport developed through the years and what have you ever discovered?
SC: I feel there’s quite a lot of speak about our League proper now, which I completely love…I feel we’ve quite a lot of eyes and a focus on our League, and I’m simply blissful to be part of it throughout this time. I feel the highschool, school bounce is huge, however the school to the professionals is even 20 occasions extra that. So, I feel the primary couple of years, you sort of have to search out your ft. There’s some individuals who can go into the League and so they have the inexperienced mild straight away and the balls of their hand 24/7. You see them sort of take off loads sooner, whereas [for me], I used to be DT’s sub for almost all of my profession. I lastly labored my means into the beginning lineup about two or three years in the past, so [I] positively was very persistent, was quite a lot of ups and downs. It was a thoughts sport at some factors.
For me, I simply had to ensure I stayed prepared and truthfully, I discovered that from DT. She’s the final word professional, she’s the GOAT of our sport. Simply the way in which that she goes about her on a regular basis exercise to grow to be higher every day and generally that’s not doing something and it’s a psychological day. I feel I’ve actually actually have discovered from the perfect. And, for me, I’m seeing [in] my profession that the extra I stack the times the higher I grow to be.
WSLAM: You’re a participant that folks have talked about for some time by way of being tremendous bodily. For brand new followers, there’s a false impression that that type of play could be very particular and focusing on one particular person. What’s your perspective on that?
SC: You sort of hit it on the pinnacle as a result of to be trustworthy, I feel that there are quite a lot of new eyes, however with that, there’s lots of people who’re uneducated about our League.
You see lots of people within the public eye on the boys’s facet sort of having Caitlin Clark’s again, too, which is sort of stunning simply because they know the way bodily our sport has at all times been. However after I inform you that the narrative that we’re all towards Caitlin or the vets towards the rookies that must be squashed as a result of it’s not like that. I promise you, it’s not like that. I’ve had my jaw damaged, I’ve damaged a finger, I’ve damaged my nostril. Everybody has tales of how bodily this League actually is and I feel that’s the principal bounce that folks don’t perceive.
It’s like, her ability stage will come, all the things else will come; the rookies on the whole. However it’s the physicality that folks actually should get used to. And so for me, I don’t suppose anybody’s being focused. If something, I feel we have to give her slightly little bit of grace generally as a result of she has loads on her plate and quite a lot of eyes on her. However with that, I feel that is gonna be actually good for her. She’s gonna be nice. I feel the rookie class is gonna be phenomenal for our League as soon as they get that physicality factor sort of labored out. It takes slightly little bit of time [but] they’re gonna be simply nice.
For me, I’ve at all times been a bodily participant. Coming into the League, I used to be really slightly bit stunned of how bodily it was as a result of I assumed I used to be bodily. However after I inform you, it doesn’t matter how massive, how tall you might be, everybody is robust and bodily on this League and also you higher deliver it in any other case it’s gonna look perhaps unhealthy.
WSLAM: Talking of physicality, what has it been like teaming up with somebody as aggressive as Kah? Is that this the primary time that you just guys have actually been round one another?
SC: Yeah, it’s positively like the primary time that we’ve been round [each other]. We’ve at all times competed and I feel that any time you set individuals who compete at that stage and sort of have that canine and that, that sort of like shit about him slightly bit that it’s gonna be sort of attention-grabbing to see how they really group up.
However after I say it’s me, Kah, DT. You have got [Natasha] Cloud. All 4 of us, we’ve slightly little bit of one thing to us and so to truly put all of us on the identical group, it’s been so enjoyable as a result of now we simply hype one another up. I really feel unhealthy for groups like they haven’t even seen the most effective of us but. Kah’s been killing it. She has completely been killing it. She’s a canine and I’m simply blissful that she’s on my group to be trustworthy.
WSLAM: You’re simply as outspoken off the court docket, too. However you’ve additionally been exhibiting out within the tunnel this 12 months. Are you able to speak about your sense of fashion?
SC: You already know what? To be trustworthy, I do love trend however I sort of wish to preserve it easy, too. The trend trend, it’s not my vibe. I feel I simply wouldn’t look good in it. I feel the rationale why we’re bringing the tunnel matches this 12 months—it’s been a piece within the course of. I additionally suppose the extra money you get, the extra you’re in a position to do what you need, too—[but it] being 12 months 6 and simply final 12 months, they had been getting higher.
However this 12 months I needed them to be actually good as a result of – the quantity of eyes. I’m telling you, the advertising and marketing, it’s the finest time to be within the W proper now. And so why would you not sort of present out slightly bit in these trend matches?
WSLAM: We’re right here for it! You’re additionally actually into broadcasting as properly. Are you able to discuss extra about how you bought into that and what it’s like showcasing your persona and pursuits exterior of the sport?
SC: I’ve quite a lot of passions and quite a lot of loves exterior of basketball. I feel that’s how I’m in a position to take pleasure in basketball nonetheless as a result of I’ve that steadiness. I don’t go abroad, I make it up in advertising and marketing cash by way of endorsements. After which, I used to be simply blessed with a terrific alternative that the Suns wanted a broadcaster. I’ve by no means actually executed it in my life. I’ve at all times been on the opposite facet of the digicam, however I’m like, I might discuss to all for 10 hours. This could’t be that tough. And so, I really ended up doing it two years in the past and that was extra simply in-studio, pre, half and put up sport, interviewing a few of the guys and I actually liked it. It’s loads more durable than it seems, too. After I watch video games now I’m listening to the broadcaster.
I’m making an attempt to be taught this 12 months [and] I received to do in-studio and shade commentating and I simply fell in love with it. To look at these guys carry out on the stage they do [and] to see the sport sort of break down and be simplified, but in addition so sophisticated on the identical time. It was simply fascinating to me.
I received to sort of grow to be actually shut with our proprietor and our CFO and so I’ve gotten to truly be taught the enterprise facet of sport, too. I’m turning right into a nerd. I’ve by no means been a nerd…however I’ve actually discovered it fascinating this previous 12 months.
I might like to get into broadcasting [when] I’m executed. However then once more, I might like to be an island lady by some means and receives a commission for that. I don’t even know what I wish to do with my life [laughs]. So, we’ll see.
Images through Getty Photographs.
