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- Did Sophie Cunningham play football?
- Sophie Cunningham high school football career
- Sophie Cunningham kicker video
- Where did Sophie Cunningham go to college?
- Sophie Cunningham WNBA Draft
Long before she became the gritty, trash-talking enforcer and defensive leader for the Indiana Fever, WNBA star Sophie Cunningham earned her toughness in an unexpected place: the high school football field. The former Missouri basketball legend, who is heading to Eugene, Oregon, this weekend to join ESPN’s College GameDay festivities, has a rare athletic past that few professional basketball players can claim, stemming from her ability to be an emergency placekicker for her high school team.
Cunningham, a star athlete at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri, suited up for the Bruins football team during their 2014 playoff run after their primary kicker suffered a season-ending injury. Despite having never played the sport, the multi-sport athlete quickly mastered the craft, successfully converting multiple extra points during the state playoffs and becoming the first female athlete in Rock Bridge history to score for the varsity football team.
Now, as Cunningham — who finished her collegiate career as Missouri's all-time leading scorer — joins the spectacle in Eugene for the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers vs. No. 3 Oregon Ducks game, her high school kicking career needs to be highlighted.
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Did Sophie Cunningham play football?
Yes, Cunningham played high school football as a placekicker.
She stepped in as an emergency replacement after the team's regular kicker suffered a season-ending ACL injury just before the playoffs. After participating in the required 14 practices, Cunningham suited up and successfully converted two extra points (XPs) during her time on the team. This made her the first female athlete to score for the varsity football team at Rock Bridge High School.
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Sophie Cunningham high school football career
Despite having no previous football experience, Sophie Cunningham stepped onto the gridiron late in her senior year at Rock Bridge High, serving as an emergency placekicker for the football team during their Class 6 state playoff run after the primary kicker injured his ACL.
Cunningham became the first female player to score a point for the varsity football team, successfully nailing an extra point in the high-stakes playoff atmosphere. However, the experience was also physically taxing: she was tackled on her very first kick attempt, telling reporters at the time, "I was so nervous. I mean, I've never played football before in all my life." She ultimately converted two extra points (XPs) during her time with the team.
Cunningham has often joked about the awkwardness of the pictures from the game, where she was "out there with my football pants on" during the halftime homecoming ceremony.
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Sophie Cunningham kicker video
Before she became a WNBA star, Sophie Cunningham put on the pads during her senior year of high school.
This explains a lot about Sophie Cunningham. She played high school football and was an excellent kicker. Tough as nails. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jJ8r5IfDjv
— 👉M-Û-R-Č-H👈 (@TheEXECUTlONER_) June 19, 2025
Cunningham spoke about her high school kicking experience.
Sophie Cunningham shares how she became her high school football team's kicker. pic.twitter.com/iBrbA1N3cU
— Girl patriot (@Girlpatriot1974) September 30, 2025
Where did Sophie Cunningham go to college?
Sophie Cunningham played her entire four-year collegiate career (2015–2019) at the University of Missouri, her hometown school. The Columbia, Missouri native became the most decorated player in the history of the women's basketball program, leading the Tigers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a feat the team had not achieved since 1990.
Cunningham made an immediate impact, starting all 129 games of her career. As a freshman, she set the school single-game scoring record with 42 points in her debut, en route to winning the SEC Freshman of the Year award. She built on that success to become a three-time First-Team All-SEC selection (2017–2019) and, in her senior year, became the first player in program history to earn Third-Team All-America honors from the Associated Press and USBWA.
She left Missouri as the program's all-time statistical leader in several key categories, solidifying her legacy as a Tiger legend.
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Sophie Cunningham college stats
| Season | Games Played (GP) | Minutes Per Game (MPG) | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
| 2015–16 | 32 | 30.1 | 14.0 | 5.8 | 3.0 | .502 | .356 | .831 |
| 2016–17 | 31 | 32.9 | 17.5 | 5.3 | 3.4 | .482 | .379 | .848 |
| 2017–18 | 31 | 32.7 | 18.5 | 4.7 | 3.0 | .542 | .457 | .836 |
| 2018–19 | 35 | 34.3 | 17.8 | 5.9 | 2.8 | .481 | .403 | .839 |
| Career Totals | 129 | 32.5 | 17.0 | 5.4 | 3.0 | .501 | .403 | .839 |
Sophie Cunningham WNBA Draft
Sophie Cunningham was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the 13th overall pick, which was the first pick of the second round in the 2019 WNBA Draft. This selection marked the highest a player from the Missouri women's basketball program had ever been drafted at the time.
As a rookie, Cunningham primarily served a reserve role for the veteran Phoenix squad, averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game across 32 appearances. Her role steadily increased over the next several seasons as she grew into the league, but she spent her entire professional career with the Mercury until being traded to the Indiana Fever in a multi-team deal in early 2025.
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