Let’s clear this up once and for all: Sophie Cunningham, the basketball star, and Sophie Cunningham, the Australian writer, are two entirely different people. Yet, somehow, the internet keeps mashing their lives together like a poorly mixed cocktail. The confusion? It’s all about names and a dash of lazy Googling. So, let’s untangle this mess, spotlight the real Virginia Murdoch (the writer’s wife), and drop the truth about the WNBA alum’s relationship status in 2025. Buckle up, because this is a story about mistaken identities, literary power couples, and why you should always double-check your search results.
The Sophie Cunningham Mix-Up: Why Everyone’s Confused
First, the basics: there are two famous Sophie Cunninghams. One is a forward for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, a sharpshooting icon who’s been balling since 2019. The other is an acclaimed Australian author, editor, and co-founder of the Stella Prize, a literary award for women writers. The basketball Sophie is American; the writer Sophie is from Melbourne. Different continents, different careers, same name. Cue the chaos.
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The mix-up usually starts when someone searches for “Sophie Cunningham wife” and stumbles onto Virginia Murdoch, an Australian digital publishing professional and product leader, married to the writer Sophie Cunningham. Suddenly, headlines like “WNBA Sophie Cunningham’s Wife Virginia Murdoch” start popping up, and the misinformation train leaves the station. Even reputable sites occasionally fumble this, slapping the wrong photo or bio next to the wrong Sophie. The writer Sophie and Virginia have been together since the early 2000s, tied the knot in 2019, and are very much a public couple in literary circles. The WNBA Sophie, meanwhile, keeps her personal life private, and there’s zero evidence she’s married to anyone named Virginia Murdoch.
Why does this keep happening? Blame SEO algorithms, rushed journalism, and the fact that “Sophie Cunningham” isn’t exactly a rare name. The writer Sophie is a big deal in Australia—she’s written novels like Geography and This Devastating Fever, edited the iconic Meanjin literary journal, and was even named a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to literature. Her relationship with Virginia is well-documented, from their meet-cute through mutual friends to their shared love of books, cats, and Geelong football (yes, really). The WNBA Sophie, on the other hand, dominates headlines for her three-pointers, not her love life. Yet, the mix-up persists.
Virginia Murdoch: Who She Really Is (and Why She’s Not Married to a Basketball Player)
Virginia Murdoch is a seasoned product leader based in Melbourne, Australia. She currently serves as Head of Product at Lyrebird Health, a health technology company. Previously, she held senior product roles at EQL and Culture Amp, with over a decade of experience in product management, team leadership, and user engagement. Virginia holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts with a focus on Creative Writing and Interactive Media from the University of Melbourne, where she was also an editor of the student publication Farrago. Known for her customer-centric approach and strong leadership skills, she has been recognized for fostering team growth and delivering impactful digital products.
She and the writer Sophie Cunningham are the kind of couple who probably debate semicolons over breakfast. They’ve been partners for over two decades, share a home in Melbourne, and are proudly child-free by choice. Their relationship is low-key but well-known in literary circles. Virginia once cheekily referred to Sophie as her “partner in crime and cat ownership” in a blog post, and their 2019 wedding was a quiet celebration in Melbourne. They’re the couple you’d spot at a writers’ festival, nodding along to a panel on postmodernism, not courtside at a WNBA game. Meanwhile, the basketball Sophie’s personal life remains under wraps—no Virginia Murdoch in sight.
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As for 2025? The writer Sophie and Virginia are still going strong. The WNBA Sophie, as far as public records show, is focused on her career, not a marriage to a woman the internet keeps misassigning to her. The takeaway? Always check which Sophie Cunningham you’re reading about. And maybe send a memo to Google.
