by Amanda Hanson, Media Relations Student Assistant
After her freshman campaign, Lindsey Cunningham knew what she needed to improve upon to make herself an even better, well-rounded player. Realizing this, she made it her priority to work on and accomplish the goals she set for herself. With hard work, and some guidance from her coach and teammates, Cunningham was able to transform these goals into perfected skills over the summer.
Cunningham spent most of her off-season not only working to improve her on-court skills, but also her confidence within the game. It's no secret that confidence is one of the key skills needed for success on and off the court. This is something Cunningham knows, and is continuing to build up throughout the season.
Cunningham and her teammates worked on their shot often throughout the summer. One way she worked on this goal was by completing a 20,000-made shot challenge over the summer, which she believes helped prepare for the current season.
"It helped tremendously," Cunningham said. "I have more confidence in my shot, and I'm looking for it a lot more, which will eventually help our inside game because they will have to guard me and not be able to help inside."
The hard work and consistent effort Cunningham put into building up her confidence and her shot really paid off and conditioned her to take on the starting point guard role this year. Although olaying point guard was not her focus for the season, Cunningham is comfortable in the spot and embraces all her challenges.Cunningham has the point guard skill set, as she has been playing the point since she was in the third grade. Her history, along with a couple days of practice helped Cunningham transition back into the position smoothly and gave her confidence again. Cunningham relies on the helpful eyes of her teammates to make improvements in her game, especially the eyes of junior Lianna Doty.
Even though Doty's injury has kept her off the court this season, it has not stopped her from continuing to help her team. Cunningham appreciates the pointers she has received from Doty this season and feels that it has really helped her grow as a player, as well as provide her with the confidence and communication skills necessary to take on the leadership role of being a point guard.
Looking forward to the rest of the season, Cunningham's goal is to work on the little details, like taking care of the ball, running the offense and getting her team in the defense. Although it is important to make shots, Cunningham believes it is the smaller skills that can sometimes get overlooked that make a big difference within the team.
In addition to receiving advice from Doty, Cunningham has several former Mizzou athletes within in her family who also offer her advice and support, and who can relate to her experiences her at Mizzou.
"I'm so blessed by the relationship I have with my family," Cunningham said. "I'm extremely close with every single one of them. They have been through it, so they know what I'm going through. They know the tough days and the good days. I'm just really lucky to have them in my corner and have their support."
Cunningham is grateful for the experience Mizzou is giving her, and she is elated to be carrying on the Mizzou student-athlete legacy within her family. Lindsey, however, is not going to be the only Cunningham playing for the Tigers next year. Her little sister Sophie, has committed to start playing basketball at Mizzou in the 2015-2016 season.
"She (Sophie) is a really, really crafty player. She has a scoring mentality. She is hard-nosed, just works really hard. She's going to be able to come in and make an impact right away I think," Cunningham said.
Lindsey Cunningham continues to work hard throughout the season and she really shows the determination she has to better herself as a player. She has been, and will continue to be, a major attribute to the team. Her confidence is continuing to build, which will be a key component in helping her team finish the season out strong.