Sophie Cunningham humbles herself in heartfelt tribute after Mizzou HOF honors

Before she entered the WNBA, it was Missouri that imparted Sophie Cunningham with the grit and competitive attitude that have become a big part of her game. Years later, on Friday, Cunningham was inducted into the Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame.

A day after her induction, the Indiana Fever posted a video of their injured star player pouring her heart out after the event in Springfield. Rocking an oversized black blazer, the WNBA star credited her success to her friends and family.

"You know, it was a special night to be back home in my hometown. My whole family and all my friends were here and so, I did get inducted to the Hall of Fame. But I promise you that this is an award for all of them to get me to where I'm at," Cunningham said. "I'm so honored and blessed for the platform that I have, but it's nice to be home."

Sophie Cunningham was one of the big names to be honored at the event. Mike Alden, who served as the Director of Athletics for Mizzou for 17 years, former Missouri Volleyball player Alyssa Munlyn and former NBA player Kareem Rush were also inducted into the Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame.

In four seasons, Cunningham played 129 games with the University of Missouri. She averaged 17.0 points, 3.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, and shot over 50% from the field. The Fever star was also one of the best 3-point shooters in the program.

Sophie Cunningham reveals the background story of viral Indiana Fever picture

Last week, a team picture from the Indiana Fever went viral on social media. The picture featured Sophie Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Chloe Bibby and Sydney Colson, all of whom were ruled out of the season with injuries.

Cunningham and Colson were on crutches, and McDonald was on a roller bike.

The photoshoot amused a lot of fans, resulting in hilarious reactions online. On her "Show Me Something" podcast, Cunningham revealed that it was her idea to take a picture with all the injured players in one frame.

It was hilarious," Cunningham told West Wilson on their podcast...I'm...like, 'you know those war pictures from WW I or WW II, that's exactly what it was like." "They all hated me because … I was like, 'guys, we have to get a pic like this, this season, and we are going to want this.’ So I made them all come back and we took it and it was cute. [Timestamp: 14:05]

Last month, Sophie Cunningham was ruled out of the 2025 WNBA season with an MCL tear. Since then, she has been rehabbing her injury after undergoing surgery.

Edited by Nandjee Ranjan