Sophie Cunningham's sister makes Cheryl Reeve suspension feelings clear with 1-word message

Sophie Cunningham’s sister, Lindsey Cunningham Hudson, joined the chorus of fans unhappy with Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve’s suspension. The WNBA released a statement on Saturday, suspending Reeve for Game 4 of the semifinals matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and the Phoenix Mercury.

The suspension comes after Cheryl Reeve asked for a change of leadership while criticizing the officiating after Game 3 of the semifinals. During the final seconds of the game, Reeve’s star player, Napheesa Collier, picked up an ankle injury after Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from her.

No foul was called on the play as Collier fell to the ground in pain, prompting an animated reaction from Reeve. Her suspension has been heavily criticized by fans, including Sophie Cunningham’s sister, who called the decision “soft” on Instagram.

“SOFT,” wrote Cunningham’s sister.

Lindsey Cunningham’s comment on Instagram

In addition to Reeve, Minnesota’s assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were fined but will participate in Sunday’s game. With Collier ruled out and the team’s head coach suspended, the Lynx’s stellar run this season is on the brink of collapse.

Sophie Cunningham and her sister played basketball together at the University of Missouri

While Lindsey Cunningham never made it to the WNBA, she also enjoyed a solid basketball career in college, playing four seasons with Missouri’s women’s basketball team.

She played 129 games, averaging 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists, shooting 40.8%, including 40.6% from 3-point range. But her impact in college wasn’t enough to warrant a draft selection.

In comparison, Sophie Cunningham averaged 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists while playing an equal number of games. She also made four All-SEC teams and was named SEC Rookie of the Year in 2016.

Her numbers show she had a stronger college career than her sister. The pair shared the floor for two seasons from 2015 until 2017. Regardless of that, Sophie Cunningham was also close to missing out on the WNBA after falling to the second round of the 2019 draft.

But the Phoenix Mercury picked her with the 13th pick. Since then, she has gone on to establish herself as one of the league’s more reliable guards.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan