It felt like a homecoming when Sophie Cunningham was traded to the Indiana Fever after spending the first six seasons of her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury. Returning to the Midwest carried its own charm for Cunningham, who never hid how much it meant to her. “My Midwest roots, I’m excited to be around Midwesterners again,” she told reporters after the trade. “It’s my type of people.”

But anyone who knows Sophie Cunningham knows she never truly left her roots behind. The Missouri native has always stayed connected to her people back home. Even before the move to Indiana, she was giving back through the Sophie Cunningham Classic with the help of her sister.

What is the Sophie Cunningham Classic 2026? Everything to know about the competition

The Sophie Cunningham Classic is a three-day showcase designed to showcase the best high school girls’ basketball talent in the Midwest. The goal is simple: give local athletes high-level exposure without forcing them to leave the region. According to Sophie Cunningham, the event attracted more than a dozen top-100-ranked teams, allowing Midwest players to be seen by elite programs right in their own backyard.

“There’s so much talent in the Midwest, and you see all of us always having to go to the East and West Coast to get noticed by scouts,” Cunningham told NBC in an episode of ‘My New Favorite Baller.’ “It keeps the talent in the Midwest.”

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“And I’m not all about just like Missouri,” Cunningham continued. “It’s Illinois, it’s Kansas, it’s Oklahoma, it’s Tennessee. So, it’s just making people come there…. I really do think it’s cool to create a platform, and there’s a market there that no one has tapped into. I’m going all in for these girls.”

Cunningham played her college basketball at the University of Missouri, where she became the program’s all-time leading scorer and helped lead the team to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Creating the Sophie Cunningham Classic was her way of giving back to a community that played a huge role in her growth, both as a player and as a person.

How many teams are participating in this? Who are the big stars registering their presence in Cunningham Classic 2026?

A total of 30 teams are taking part in the tournament. The full list of participating teams is given below.

• Battle
• Bishop Miege
• Blue Valley North
• Borgia
• Centralia
• Doniphan
• Faith Family Academy
• Fulton
• Harrisburg
• Hickman
• Incarnate Word Academy
• Lee’s Summit West
• Liberty North
• Lift for Life
• Long Island Lutheran
• Marshfield
• MICDS
• Olathe South
• Park Hill South
• Principia
• Quincy
• Rock Bridge
• School of the Osage
• Solon
• Staley
• Strafford
• Tipton
• Tolton
• Troy
• West Plains

Some of the best young players in the country will be in action at the tournament. Headlining the group is Addison Bjorn, the No. 10-ranked recruit in the 2026 class, who is committed to the University of Texas.

She is followed by Olivia Jones, the No. 14 recruit in the same class, who has committed to Vanderbilt University. The talent does not stop there. Savvy Swords and Emily McDonald, both top-25 recruits, will also be on the floor after committing to the University of Kentucky.

You can check out the full list of players participating below.

Where and how to watch Sophie Cunningham Classic 2026?

The action will take place at Bob Burchard Court, inside the Southwell Complex at Columbia College, from January 9–11, 2026. Tickets are still available for this three-day basketball bonanza, and fans can secure their seats through the official COMO Tickets website.