DUE TO THE SETBACK OF THE TEAM,A KEY PLAYER FOR THE PHOENIX MERCURY, Sophie Cunningham, ANNOUNCE STEP DOWN TO THE TEAM.

DUE TO THE SETBACK OF THE TEAM,A KEY PLAYER FOR THE PHOENIX MERCURY, Sophie Cunningham, ANNOUNCE STEP DOWN TO THE TEAM.

Sophie Cunningham, a guard eligible for restricted free agency, will rejoin the Phoenix Mercury on a multi-year contract following a stellar 2022 season, the organization announced on Friday.

According to reports, Cunningham will earn $150,000 in the first year of the contract and $154,000 in the second.

According to the statement, Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman stated, “Sophie is part of our core, now and for the future.” “She has improved as a player every year of her career and made great strides last year. Re-signing her was our top priority because of her enthusiasm in her play, her perseverance on the court, and her passion for the Valley and the Mercury organization. In addition to being adored by her teammates, coaches, and staff, she is a fan favorite. As we continue to assemble a group that will contend for a championship, she will be yet another crucial component this year.

Although Cunningham’s decision to remain in Phoenix is not surprising—she joined the Suns broadcast team and has been frequently mentioned on Mercury social media this offseason—a report from January 30 claimed that she was also in talks with the Dallas Wings, Connecticut Sun, and Los Angeles Sparks.

Cunningham has played for the Mercury for all four of her WNBA seasons, but her transformation from bench player to important member occurred in 2022. Her averages of 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 29.5 minutes per game were all career highs in her 28 games played (20 starts). Despite shooting nearly three more threes per game in 2022 than in 2021, when she hit a career-high 41% from three, she was still only able to maintain a 40% clip from three-point range.

Cunningham had a strong postseason showing in 2021 before having a breakthrough year in 2022. As the Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals, she increased her scoring average from 5.6 points per game during the regular season to 7.5 points per game during the postseason. Her game-best six 3-pointers and 21 points in an 83-82 victory against the New York Liberty to help the Mercury progress to the second round was the high point of her 2021 playoff campaign.

Cunningham is now the Mercury’s fifth player. She re-joins Diamond DeShields, Skyler Diggins-Smith, Brianna Turner, and Sam Thomas, who returned to the team earlier this week on a training camp contract.

Composed by Jesse Morrison
For The Next, Jesse Morrison is the Phoenix Mercury’s cover artist. Jesse, a native of Roanoke, Virginia, relocated to Arizona in 2017 to enroll in Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He will earn a degree in sports journalism in 2021. Jesse is employed by Arizona Sports, where he produces radio shows, writes for their website, and co-hosts an Arizona State podcast.

With two games left in the regular season, the Phoenix Mercury are out of the running for the playoffs. They’ve had a difficult season marked by subpar performance and a constant stream of absences and injuries.

They saw Diana Taurasi become the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 career points, and they welcomed Brittney Griner home.

In the midst of their dismal performance, they fired head coach Vanessa Nygaard, and they have been without Skylar Diggins-Smith, who disclosed that she has received unjust treatment from the organization during her maternity leave. However, a vital player will be returning to the Mercury for the remainder of the campaign. According to Jeff Metcalfe of AZ Central, forward Sophie Cunningham will play in her first game back after suffering a jaw injury on Friday against the Las Vegas Aces for the Mercury.

 

Since sustaining a jaw injury against the Dallas Wings on August 27, Sophie Cunningham has missed the last four games for the Mercury. She established herself as a regular starter and has been an important member of the Mercury this season. Cunningham has played in the WNBA for five seasons total since the Mercury selected her with the No. 13 overall choice in the 2019 WNBA Draft.

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Cunningham has averaged about 29 minutes per game while starting each of the 31 games she has participated in this season. With 41.3 percent shooting from the field, 33.7 percent from the three-point line, and 87.5 percent from the free throw line, she has been averaging 11.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.