In Photos: Sophie Cunningham pays tribute to Kobe Bryant, steals the limelight with stylish Mamba Tapestry crewneck outfit

By John Ezekiel Hirro

Modified Sep 04, 2024 04:38 GMT

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham paid homage to Kobe Bryant with her pre-grame outfit on Tuesday. She donned a crewneck emblazoned with the NBA legend's image ahead of their game against the Atlanta Dream.

As Mercury aimed to snap their three-game losing streak, Cunningham seemingly embraced her Mamba Mentality. She complemented her outfit with short shorts and white high heels, completing her stylish and comfortable look.

Check out the photos of her look below.

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham flexes her Kobe Bryant-inspired outfit for Tuesday's game (Photos from the Phoenix Mercury Facebook page)

Sophie Cunningham’s Mercury were recently overtaken by Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever for the sixth spot in the WNBA standings.

The Fever have won four consecutive games. Meanwhile, Phoenix suffered double-digit losses to the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces on their home court.

Cunningham has been a key cog for the Mercury, averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. She entered the game against Atlanta scoring 16 points in her last two outings.

Sophie Cunningham has a team-high plus-minus rating of 17 in win vs Dream

Phoenix Mercury fended off Atlanta Dream, 74-66, to snap their three-game losing streak.

Sophia Cunningham finished with seven points, seven rebounds and two steals, and earned a team-high plus-minus rating of 17 in 32 minutes. She went 1-for-5 from the field, with all her shots being 3-pointers. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.

Kahleah Copper led the charge for the Mercury with 28 points, while Brittney Griner tallied 16 points and eight rebounds. Diana Taurasi had 13 points and a plus-15 rating.

The Mercury overcame a 31-point performance from Rhyne Howard to notch their 17th win.

Sophie Cunningham reflects on inspiring words from Kobe Bryant

After Kobe Bryant’s passing in 2020, Sophie Cunningham took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her sorrow and express condolences to the Bryant family.

She also shared some of the Lakers legend's advice to her.

“I love the feistiness you play with. That’s going to take you far.”

Kobe Bryant was a passionate advocate for women’s basketball after his retirement. The five-time NBA champion supported his daughter Gigi’s aspirations to play college basketball at Connecticut and then in the WNBA.

Kobe and Gigi tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash while en route to a game at the Mamba Sports Academy. The helicopter crashed into a hillside in foggy conditions, killing everyone aboard.