Is Sophie Cunningham related to Cade Cunningham? A closer look at Mercury player's personal life

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham has juggled multiple roles since she was selected as the 13th overall pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. Over the years, she has been a player and analyst who also served as a guest analyst for the Phoenix Suns Suns Live!

Recently, the Mercury star has been compared with Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham due to their similar second names, sparking speculation about whether they are related.

To clarify, the two players are not related to each other. The Pistons guard was born in Texas, while Sophie was born in Missouri. Perhaps the one thing common between the duo is that they are both guards in their respective leagues. The Pistons' future star was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft by Detroit.

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Who is Sophie Cunningham?

Born in Columbia, Missouri, the 27-year-old Sophie Cunningham has carved a name for herself as one of the premier guards in the WNBA.

She was born to Paul and Jim in a sports DNA-ingrained family. Her mother was a javelin thrower in college, while Jim played football. Her older sister, Lindsey, serves as the assistant director of development with Missouri State Tigers.

Cunningham has been a part of Phoenix for five seasons. She has suited up for 145 games for the Mercury, averaging 7.6 points and 2.5 rebounds. Over time, her minutes on the floor have dipped, resulting in a dip in numbers as well. However, her astute understanding of the game and hustle plays make her a key cog in the team's plans.

Earlier, she made headlines for her athleticism with a lob to her teammate Sug Sutton. The Mercury made sure she garnered the spotlight for it by tagging the city's NFL team, the Arizona Cardinals, for a QB role in the upcoming season.

On her part, Sophie Cunningham tagged the reigning champs Kansas City Chiefs instead, showing her interest in the Chiefs.

This season, she's averaging 9.5 points and 5.3 points as the Mercury look to return to playoff contention. They began their season on a losing note to the Las Vegas Aces on the opening night but have shored up since then, winning three games to stay in third place.

Up next, Sophie Cunningham and the Mercury play Western conference unit Dallas Wings before taking on the Eastern Conference team Connecticut Sun.