The Phoenix Mercury are within the midst of an underwhelming season, and Sophie Cunningham — one of many longest-tenured gamers on the roster — hasn’t been shy about calling the group out.
“We have to learn to be nice teammates,” Cunningham mentioned after the group misplaced to the Storm, their fifth loss in six video games. “On the finish of the day, we get to play basketball for a dwelling, in order that’s a blessing. Possibly, altering our views to begin to be a bit extra grateful could be a superb begin.”
Cunningham was drafted to the Mercury in 2019, and has been with the franchise for the whole lot of her WNBA profession. For the previous two seasons, that’s been in a beginning position. Final season, she averaged 11.3 factors per sport in 29 minutes.
However this 12 months, she’s often completed so off the bench, averaging 8 factors in 27.7 minutes. Her taking pictures share is barely up from final season to this season (from 41.3% to 42.1%), as is her three-point share (from 33.7% to 36.8%). When she checks in, her mindset is totally different each sport, relying on what she noticed from the sidelines within the opening minutes.
“For me, it’s not likely about factors, it’s simply form of actually doing regardless of the group wants in that individual sport,” Cunningham mentioned. “And typically that is factors, typically it’s rebounds, it’s assists, it’s enjoying good protection. I’m simply form of the X Issue, and I simply form of do no matter they want.”
In flip, Cunningham is now within the operating for Sixth Participant of the 12 months. Given the expertise and collective accolades on the roster – Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and Kahleah Copper, to only identify a number of — coming off the bench can typically truly make life simpler.
“Generally it’s form of good coming off the bench, simply because you may see the movement of the sport,” Cunningham mentioned. “We have now 4 Olympians on our group, and so after they’re all out on the courtroom, they’re looking for their rhythm fairly early within the sport. They’re making an attempt to get theirs. So, typically it’s form of good, as a result of then you definitely get to go in and form of be that second punch that the group wants – a bit fiery power. Then there’s extra photographs for me to be extra aggressive on the offensive finish.”
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Picture by Kate Frese/NBAE through Getty Photos
Cunningham’s Sixth Participant of the 12 months marketing campaign can be hindered by the actual fact her group has underachieved this season. They presently sit within the seventh seed, and have seemed particularly disjointed because the Olympic break.
However, Cunningham deserves to be within the dialog for Sixth Participant of the 12 months as a result of she’s been one of many league most prolific and environment friendly scorers off the bench. Of gamers who’ve come off the bench no less than 15 occasions this season, Cunningham has averaged the second-most factors behind Hayes, 8.4 per sport. Her taking pictures splits off the bench are additionally phenomenal; in 19 bench outings, she’s shot 49% from the sphere, 43.8% from three, and 87.2% from the road.
However even above the on-court stats, Cunningham informed SB Nation that her largest contribution this season has been her management.
“It’s assembly individuals the place they’re at,” she mentioned. “It’s being the glue of the group and ensuring that every one these personalities, and typically egos, are all coming collectively, and making an attempt to create an important tradition and an important setting for individuals to thrive and achieve success. And so for me, it’s just about off courtroom stuff. It’s about constructing chemistry. It’s about constructing rhythm. After which when you’ve that, and you’ve got that sort of group, naturally issues go fairly properly for these groups on the nook as properly.”
“In order that’s form of the place my focus is at. I believe now we have numerous nice gamers on our group who – they’re Olympians. They’ve received championships within the W, and so for me, it’s doing the little issues and ensuring that we’re all on the identical web page.”
Over the weekend, Cunningham signed a one-year extension with the Mercury, the group with which she’s spent her total skilled profession.
“We’re creating a extremely good tradition, and it’s going to be a profitable, successful tradition,” Cunningham mentioned. “We’re going to get a championship again right here in Phoenix in a pair years, I really feel. For me, it’s about that. Our coaches have been completely phenomenal. The group as an entire, particularly our proprietor and our CEO and our GM, they’ve simply handled us like elite degree athletes — and I do know that’s not essentially the case on different groups.”
Within the meantime, she hasn’t spent a lot time excited about whether or not she may earn the Sixth Participant of the 12 months award, however she acknowledges it’d be an important honor.
“I do know there’s been conversations round it. I believe it’d be superior,” she mentioned. “It’s only a testomony to my teammates, the work I’ve put in. However, on the finish of the day, awards and that sort of stuff doesn’t determine me. It’s not the place I put my hope and my success, if I’m a winner or loser, if I get these awards or not.”
Whether or not or not receives the accolade, Cunningham will proceed leaning into the issues which have made her profitable within the WNBA, to this point — starter or not.
“On the finish of the day, my factor is outworking individuals, it’s ensuring that I’m the toughest employee on the ground, that I’ve essentially the most power, I’m being a dawg for my group,” Cunningham mentioned. “And I believe once I try this sort of factor, then the sport naturally simply comes.”
Writer’s be aware: This text is a part of a sequence diving into the candidates for WNBA Sixth Participant of the 12 months. Related tales have been written about Tiffany Hayes of the Las Vegas Aces and Leonie Fiebich of the New York Liberty.
