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Sophie Cunningham Drafted by the Phoenix Mercury

Sophie had to wait until the 1st pick of the second round but found a great spot to land in Phoenix.

NCAA Womens Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament - Missouri vs Kentucky Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Sophie Cunningham is a legend at Missouri and now she’s about to embark on her WNBA playing career after being drafted with the 13th pick in the WNBA draft, going to the Phoenix Mercury.

Pre-draft mocks had Sophie in this range, going as high as 10 to as low as 15, and most thought the fit with Phoenix would be a good one. In the Mercury, Sophie will join a roster stocked with three elite stars in the league with Diana Taurasi, Brittany Griner, and DeWanna Bonner. The one thing needed for the Mercury to take the next step toward a championship has been some floor spacing and Sophie brings that to the roster immediately.

On top of the ability to knock down jump shots, Cunningham will join forces with one of the fiercest competitors in the league with Taurasi. I don’t imagine many teams will enjoy playing against Taurasi and Cunningham together.

After Cunningham was picked, the Mercury moved guard Marie Gülich for Notre Dame forward and #11 pick Brianna Turner to add some athleticism. Both Cunningham and Turner should be able to help easy the workload for Taurasi as well who enters her 15th year in the league.

Congrats to Sophie on a great Mizzou career, and getting drafted higher than any Mizzou player in WNBA history.