Sophie Cunningham Baptism Shows Faith Amid WNBA Season
Sophie Cunningham, the Missouri basketball standout whose grit has made her a fan favorite with the Indiana Fever, has marked a new season with an old Christian practice: baptism.
Cunningham, 29, shared video of her baptism at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Arizona, saying she had been baptized as a child but wanted to make a public confession of faith as an adult.
“I got baptized when I was little, but I was feeling a tug on my heart to do it on my terms as an adult,” Cunningham wrote on TikTok. “Such a fun, amazing day. Thank you, Jesus.”
The moment came during a season in which Cunningham has become known not only for her outside shooting but also for standing up for teammates. A viral 22-second clip from a June 22 game showed her silently pointing at Phoenix Mercury player DeWanna Bonner after a heated exchange involving Caitlin Clark. It was a bold moment, and fans quickly turned it into a meme. But it also fit the way many Fever fans have come to see Cunningham: loyal, protective and unafraid to take heat.
Cunningham has said Clark is being targeted and not protected enough by officials, a concern also raised by Fever coach Stephanie White after Clark took hard contact in a recent game. The issue has grown beyond one team. Phoenix guard Alyssa Thomas, who was suspended after making contact with Clark’s throat, said she later received threats and online abuse. The WNBA said it “vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate” and called player safety a priority.
Cunningham grew up in Columbia, played at Rock Bridge High School and became one of the most decorated players in Missouri women’s basketball history. At Mizzou, she finished as the program’s all-time leading scorer and free-throw leader. She also was SEC Freshman of the Year, a three-time All-SEC First Team selection and a 2019 third-team All-American.
Speaking with reporters after the baptism, Cunningham said the decision felt personal.
“I’ve always been a faithful person, but I just feel like now it’s my own decision,” she said. “One of the better things I’ve done in my life is getting baptized.”
Cunningham, who played the 2025 season with the Fever after six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, caused a stir after signing her new contract on April 12. She made comments on her “Show Me Something” podcast suggesting she was frustrated with a one-year deal.
Cohost West Wilson asked whether the deal was better than she expected with the new collective bargaining agreement.
“It’s OK,” she said. “No, it’s fine. It’s tough, because I came off an injury, and I haven’t been in front of any teams. I had a lot going on this offseason. I was fully cleared; they had all the doctors, they had the numbers and everything. But if you don’t get in front of these people, it’s like, ‘Hey, are you actually good?’”
Cunningham said she received multiyear offers from other teams but emphasized she was seeking stability when she made her comments.
“It made me sound snotty and ungrateful, and that is the last thing I ever want,” she said. “I am so grateful. I know I’m coming off a pretty big knee injury, and so it was never about the money. It was just about the years because I wanted to be with them. God forbid, a girl loves her teammates.
“I’m almost 30 years old. I want to have a home. I want to kind of get established. And I would love to get established in a place like Indiana. We had such a great time. When you find a group of girls who really make you fall in love with basketball again and you enjoy it — not only on the court but off the court — you want to hold on to that. And so that’s what I meant by that.”
–Alan Goforth
