Sophie Cunningham decided where she wanted to play college basketball before most players her age had even started thinking about it. A highly coveted five-star recruit from Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri, she had elite programs such as Duke, Harvard, Oklahoma and North Carolina calling, yet chose to stay home and commit to Mizzou in eighth grade.

At the time, Missouri women’s basketball was hardly a powerhouse, with games sometimes drawing fewer than 200 fans. Cunningham, however, had a specific reason for turning down the bigger names, one that would eventually shape both her legacy and the program she chose.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Cunningham would be inducted into the general Mizzou Hall of Fame, making her the first athlete to receive the honor. She joins an exclusive list of names that includes nine-time Grammy Award winner Sheryl Crow.

As a four-time state champion and 2015 McDonald’s All-American, Cunningham could have chosen a program that offered a bigger stage at the time. But staying home had a deeper meaning for her.

Her father, Jim, had played football for Mizzou, while her mother, Paula, competed in track and field there. With her older sister Lindsey also playing basketball for the Tigers, Cunningham was following a family tradition while choosing to help build the women’s basketball program in her hometown.

Cunningham played her entire college career at Mizzou from 2015 to 2019, cementing herself as one of the greatest athletes in school history. She finished her career with 2,187 points, making her the all-time leading scorer in Mizzou women’s basketball history.

She started all 129 games of her college career, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while leading the Tigers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Those achievements earned her a place in the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame last year. Now, she has added an even more exclusive honor to her résumé.

The event that brought Sophie Cunningham back to campus was the annual Mizzou Homecoming festivities, which took place between October 3 and 4. Her WNBA season with the Fever had just ended after a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Las Vegas Aces.

“The Mayor of Columbia” rode through the streets of her city in the back of a pickup truck during the Homecoming parade, waving to crowds who treated her like Missouri royalty. Later that afternoon at Faurot Field, she took the sidelines wearing a custom gray crewneck reading “Play Mr. Brightside,” a nod to Mizzou’s stadium anthem. 

She also attended the packed Homecoming football game at Faurot Field, where the No. 25 Tigers played the No. 8 Florida Gators. And she proved to be a lucky charm for the football team, as they dominated the Gators in a 45-17 blowout.

For Cunningham, her return to Missouri comes amid some uncertainty in her WNBA career. She is now a free agent following the expiration of her $665,000 contract, leaving her future up in the air for now.

Fever GM on Sophie Cunningham’s future

Cunningham is completely free to negotiate and sign with any WNBA franchise when the free-agent negotiation period opens. And considering the controversy surrounding her comments on trans athletes in recent months, some questioned whether the Fever would even want her back.

General manager Amber Cox gave a clear answer when asked if the outside noise would affect the team’s offseason plans. “No,” Cox said, shutting down that idea. She made it clear that the Fever value Cunningham’s role, pointing to her two productive years as a shooter, locker-room presence, and leader. She also said the team looks forward to having conversations about keeping her in Indiana.

“Sophie’s had two really productive years for us in terms of shooting the basketball,” she said. “She is a really solid leader in the locker room, a great connector. She brings levity, but also brings a lot of experience, and she’s serious and is an important voice in our locker room when we need it.”

She’s an unrestricted free agent, so we look forward to having those conversations. She had a really productive year, and we’ll see just where things take us. I mean, obviously, it’s really early, and we’ve got some time before we get to free agency,” Cox added.

During the 2026 WNBA regular season, Cunningham served as a crucial spark plug off the bench for the Indiana Fever, averaging 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She also averaged 7.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists across the three playoff games against the Aces.

At the start of the season, Cunningham was quite vocal about her willingness to remain with the Fever, which eventually led to her now-expired contract. If that’s still the case, the decision now lies with the Fever front office.