Facing her former team, Sophie Cunningham came up clutch in the fourth quarter.
The former Missouri women’s basketball star had a 4-point play and nine total points in the fourth quarter, helping the Indiana Fever pull away and knock off the Phoenix Mercury 107-101 on Wednesday night, July 30 in Indianapolis.
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Playing against the team where she spent the first six seasons of her WNBA career for the first time since an offseason trade to Indiana, Cunningham knocked down a 3-pointer and drew a foul with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left on the game clock. She made the free throw to stretch Indiana’s lead to 11 points.
A little more than a minute earlier, she dished an assist to Chloe Bibby in the corner for another triple that gave the Fever an eight-point lead. Bibby returned the favor to get Cunningham a layup with 2:16 remaining, part of a nine-point fourth quarter for the former Tiger.
It had been an otherwise quiet night for the Columbia local, but the strong finish means she now has seven double-digit-point performances in her past eight games.
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In her 30 minutes on the court, Cunningham finished with 12 points on a 4-of-6 mark from the field and a 1-of-3 mark from 3-point range. She was 3-of-4 shooting from the free throw line. The Mizzou and Rock Bridge grad also had three rebounds and an assist in the victory.
Cunningham had a +5 plus/minus during her time on the floor.
The Fever, who again were playing without an injured Caitlin Clark, have now won six of their past eight games and are 15-12 on the season.
Aari McDonald led Indiana in scoring with 27 points, and Aliyah Boston had a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double. Alyssa Thomas led Phoenix with 32 points.
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The Fever are sixth place in the WNBA standings and seven games back of the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. Indiana is currently third in the Eastern Conference standings, three games back of the New York Liberty.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guards Sophie Cunningham (8) and Caitlin Clark (22)sign autographs before a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Entering the matchup, Cunningham was averaging 7.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game this season.
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Earlier this year, Cunningham was announced as a member of Missouri athletics’ 2025 Hall of Fame Class. The Rock Bridge High grad is the all-time leading scorer for Mizzou women’s basketball with 2,187 points. The Tigers have not been to the NCAA Tournament since Cunningham graduated in 2019.
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Indiana and Cunningham next face the Dallas Wings at 6:30 p.m. Friday, August 1 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou alum Sophie Cunningham stats in Fever win over former team Phoenix
