What Are Sophie Cunningham’s Net Worth,Family, Contracts, and Latest Updates
Sophie Cunningham is a familiar face to all the die-hards of Phoenix basketball fans. Be it the Mercury fans or the Suns fans in the NBA, both fanbases know Cunningham as a great baller for the Mercury and as an analyst for the Suns.
Cunningham is a force to be reckoned with in the WNBA. As a professional athlete, she is a role model for every upcoming and aspiring talent wishing to join the league. This article reflects deeper into the guard’s journey to the WNBA and some more unknown facts about the Phoenix Mercury star.
Sophie Cunningham Personal Life
Name | Sophie Cunningham |
AGE | 28 |
DOB | August 16, 1996 |
Nationality | American |
Mother Name | Paula Cunningham |
Father name | Jim Cunningham |
Position | Guard, Phoenix Mercury |
Net Worth | $1.5 million (approximately) |
Height | 6 ft 1 inches (1.85m) |
Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
College | Missouri (2015-2019) |
Relationship Status | Single |
Team | Phoenix Mercury |
Draft Info | 2nd Round, 13th Overall Pick by the Phoenix Mercury |
Experience | 5 seasons, 1 team |
Sophie Cunningham Early Life and Family Background
Sophie Cunningham was born to Jim and Paula Cunningham on August 16, 1996. Born to parents with athletic backgrounds, Cunningham’s father used to play football while her mother was a track and field athlete at the University of Missouri. She has an older sister, Lindsey, who was encouraged alongside her to pursue athletics at a very early age.
Cunningham attended Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, where she led her team to four consecutive state championships. During her high school career, Cunningham received several accolades, including being named a McDonald’s All-American in 2015.
Following a stellar high school career, Cunningham joined the University of Missouri, the alma mater of her mother, Paula Cunningham. Very quickly, she emerged as a standout player for the Tigers, earning several accolades, such as:
- SEC All-Freshman Team (2016)
- SEC Freshman of the Year (2016)
- 3X First-Team All-SEC (2017-19)
- Third-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2019)
Cunningham led her collegiate team to several NCAA Tournament appearances in her four seasons with the Tigers. The future Mercury guard averaged 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 129 games played for the Missouri Tigers. In 2019, Cunningham declared for the WNBA Draft and was selected as the 13th overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury.
Sophie Cunningham Partner
Not much is known about Cunningham’s dating life at the moment, and it appears she is not in a relationship with anyone in particular on her social media pages. As per Yahoo! Entertainment, Cunningham was last seen dating footballer and basketball player Jakob Nedig. She last posted a picture with him on X in May 2020.
Since then, she hasn’t revealed much about her dating Nedig. Hence, we can either assume they have broken up or are choosing to stay private about their relationship.
Sophie Cunningham Instagram
Sophie Cunningham’s Instagram consists of 221 posts where she gives the audience a deeper dive into her endorsements and life. She has 245K followers and 1,255 following lists. The WNBA hooper’s Instagram ID is @sophie_cham
Sophie Cunningham Other Social Media
The following are the social media handles of Sophie Cunningham:
@sophaller |
Sophie Cunningham Net Worth
Cunningham has earned most of her wealth from her WNBA contracts and other engagements.
As of 2024, her net worth was estimated to be around $1.5 million. Cunningham is extremely marketable as a professional athlete, which opens up several avenues for her to accept sponsorships and add to her net worth.
Name | Sophie Cunningham |
Net Worth | $1.5 million (estimated) |
Position | Shooting Guard |
Source of Wealth | WNBA salary, Endorsements, Sponsorship |
Salary | $100,000 (2025) |
Endorsements | Adidas, Skims |
Endorsement Earnings | NIL |
Sophie Cunningham Salary
According to Spotrac, Cunningham signed a 1-year, $100,000 extension with the Phoenix Mercury in 2025 free agency. This would earn her a base salary of $100,000 while carrying a cap hit of $100,000. Her annual salary last season was estimated to be around $120,000 as of 2024.
ALSO READ: What Are Chennedy Carter’s Net Worth, Salary, Family, Partner, College and WNBA Stats
Sophie Cunningham Endorsements
Cunningham is an Adidas athlete. She also represents various other brands, such as Skims. Besides basketball, she is a recurring analyst for the Phoenix Suns’ Suns Live! Broadcast channel.
In an interview with Slam, Cunningham once said, “I don’t go overseas. I make it up in marketing money through endorsements. And then, I was just blessed with a great opportunity that the Suns needed a broadcaster. I’ve never really done it in my life. I’ve always been on the other side of the camera, but I’m like, I could talk to all for 10 hours. This can’t be that hard. And so, I actually ended up doing it two years ago, and that was more just in-studio, pre, half, and post-game, interviewing some of the guys. I really loved it.”
Not much is known about her earnings from brand endorsements and sponsorship deals. Aside from being a basketball player, Sophie Cunningham is also a recurring analyst for the NBA team Phoenix Suns. She can be seen covering pregame, half-time, and post-game TV coverage on the Suns’ network called Suns Live!
Sophie Cunningham WNBA Career Stats
Cunningham was drafted as the 13th overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Since then, she has established herself as a versatile and tough guard in the WNBA. Having played 182 games for the Mercury, Cunningham heavily contributes to the team as a reliable shooter and defender coming off the bench.
Cunningham further solidified her reputation amongst the Mercury fans with her clutch performance in the 2021 season. She led the Mercury to the WNBA Finals, where they faced an eventual upset against the Chicago Sky, losing the series in four games. Cunningham continues to be a valuable asset for her team, adding to the roster’s scoring prowess with her ability to shoot from the deep and her energy on the court.
Besides the WNBA, Cunningham has also played overseas during the WNBA offseason. She had brief stints in the Australian and Turkish basketball leagues, where she further honed her skills as a player. Combining her experience in the international leagues, Cunningham is well on the path to glory and establishing herself as one of the foremost names in the WNBA.
Here is a breakdown of her stats in the WNBA over the years:
Year | Team | GP | FG% | RPG | APG | PPG |
2019 | Phoenix Mercury | 32 | .354 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 3.1 |
2020 | Phoenix Mercury | 21 | .385 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 5.0 |
2021 | Phoenix Mercury | 30 | .437 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 5.6 |
2022 | Phoenix Mercury | 28 | .449 | 4.4 | 1.6 | 12.6 |
2023 | Phoenix Mercury | 31 | .413 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 11.3 |
2024 | Phoenix Mercury | 40 | .429 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 8.4 |
Career | 6 seasons, 1 team | 182 | .442 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 7.7 |
Sophie Cunningham Achievements
The following are the achievements of Cunningham, from her high school playing career to her college and WNBA career:
- Third-team All-American- AP, USBWA (2019)
- 3x First-Team All-SEC (2017-2019)
- SEC Freshman of the Year (2016)
- SEC All-Freshman Team (2016)
- McDonald’s All-American (2015)
Sophie Cunningham Injury
In the 2024 season, Cunningham played through a shoulder injury and a “dead” collarbone. She picked up her shoulder injury while playing against the New York Liberty. Throughout the 2024 season, Cunningham played through the injury and shot more with her left hand than her right.
Her dedication to the team and her work ethic have made her receive immense laud and praise from critics, teammates and fans alike. She plans to undergo surgery in this current off-season.
Sophie Cunningham Contract
Here is a breakdown of Sophie Cunningham’s contract with the Phoenix Mercury:
Year | Salary |
2019 (Signed Rookie Scale $189.522 contract) | $47,381 |
2020 (On Rookie Scale) | $47,381 |
2021 (On Rookie Scale) | $47,381 |
2022 (Signed one-year $75,000 extension) | $75,000 |
2023 (Signed two-year $304,500 extension) | $150,000 |
2024 (Year Two of extension) | $189,000 |
2025 (Signed one-year $100,000 extension) | $100,000 |
Conclusion
Cunnigham’s story is about how good grit and work ethic can lead you to great leaps of success. It is most definite that coach Nate Tibbetts has long-term plans to utilize the shooting guard in the Mercury’s rebuilding phase.
Now and then, Cunningham has always served the team with her skills and bag, proving to be a selfless player who can add depth to the team off the bench. Perhaps, with this new extension contract, Cunningham might be able to lead the Mercury for title contention while also acting as an aspiration for the youngsters and rookies joining Phoenix’s roster.
How old is Sophie Cunningham?
As of January 2025, Sophie Cunningham is 28 years old.
Where is Sophie Cunningham from?
Sophie Cunningham is from Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Is Sophie Cunningham a lesbian?
No, Sophie Cunningham is not a lesbian.
Is Sophie Cunningham injured?
Sophie Cunningham played through a shoulder injury and “dead” collarbone throughout the 2024 season.
Is Sophie Cunningham in a relationship?
Sophie Cunningham was last seen dating footballer and basketball player Jakob Nedig in 2020. Since then, she hasn’t posted anything about her relationship in public.
Who does Sophie Cunningham play for?
Sophie Cunningham plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.
What gender is Sophie Cunningham?
Sophie Cunningham is AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) and identifies herself as a female.
Why was Sophie Cunningham out?
Sophie Cunningham always played off the bench for the Mercury and also played through her injury in the 2024 season.
How much does Sophie Cunningham make a year?
As per Sophie Cunningham’s latest WNBA contract, she is known to make $100,000 annually from her league salary.