MU women’s basketball takes team-family concept to a whole new level

Every sports team in the country in every sport at every level talks about the concept of family.

Coaches strive to create programs that foster a family atmosphere and players talk about the locker room as a family.

Few teams, perhaps no team in history, take it quite as far as the Missouri women’s basketball team.

The Tigers’ roster includes three pairs of sisters — twin senior guards Morgan and Maddie Stock, forwards Bri and Cierra Porter and guards Sophie and Lindsey Cunningham.

“All six of them have unbelievable personalities — high-character kids, their teammates love them and they love their teammates,” MU coach Robin Pingeton said. “We’ve just got a really special culture with the support that they have for each other. … We’re taking it (the team-as-family concept) to another level, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

It doesn’t stop there. The Porters’ father, Michael, is an assistant coach and he’s married to Pingeton’s sister, Lisa.

“Everyone says that their team is a family, but ours is actually a family,” said Sophie Cunningham, a freshman who’s a McDonald’s All-American and consensus top-20 recruit from the 2015 class.

It is believed that having three sets of sisters on the same team is unprecedented in NCAA women’s basketball history.

“When we stop to think about it, we realize it’s pretty unique,” said Bri Porter, a sophomore who is returning from a torn ACL suffered last December. “We’ve gotten used to it though, and there’s already such a family atmosphere on this team. We all just fit right in.”

Missouri has reached the Women’s NIT three consecutive seasons, including a berth in the tourney’s Sweet 16 last season.

The program’s 19 wins last season were the most since 2005-06, which is also the last time the Tigers made the NCAA Tournament.

Missouri believes it’s on the precipice of a breakthrough with a tight bond, the nucleus from last year’s 19-14 club back and the addition of one of the nation’s best recruiting classes.

“We have all the puzzle pieces we need. I think we have an unbelievable team,” Sophie Cunningham said. “We are kind of the underdogs in the SEC, because we’re new to it and not a lot of people know about us, but I think that gives us fire. I know this team has everything we need and, if we can just put the pieces together and complete that puzzle, it’s going to be an unbelievable year for Mizzou basketball.”

Sophie Cunningham and junior forward Jordan Frericks dropped double-doubles in a season-opening win Friday at Missouri State.

Cunningham scored a game-high 23 points with 10 rebounds in her college debut, while Frericks, a preseason second-team All-SEC pick by the coaches, added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Backcourt depth is a strength for the Tigers. Along with Sophie and Lindsey Cunningham, who scored 10 with five assists and serves as the team’s emotional sparkplug, the Stock sisters provide three-point shooting prowess.

Junior Lianna Doty, who missed last season because of a foot injury, returns and provides a creative presence at the point guard spot.

Junior Sierra Michaelis is a jack of all trades for Missouri. She can shoot from long range and is a strong rebounder with the ability to score inside when needed, while senior Juanita Robinson brings athleticism off the bench.

Sophomore Carrie Shephard also adds depth.

Frericks leads the frontcourt, while also includes the Porter sisters. Cierra Porter is a freshman and part of the Tigers’ outstanding 2015 crop.

Senior Michelle Hudyn brings experience to the paint, while sophomore Kayla McDowell, who is recovering from her own ACL tear last December, and freshman Hannah Schuchts add frontcourt depth.

“We have a lot of talent this year,” Frericks said. “We’ve got to put it together and show it on the floor, but I think that we can. We have been in practices and we’re excited to show it games now.”

Of course, everything starts with that family bond.

“It’s really cool,” Frericks said. “You don’t think about it a lot. There’s a couple times where you can see the sisterly tension, but it never affects them on the court. It’s fun to see and they handle it well. … It’s a family within a family, but they bring us in with different things.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 2:50 PM with the headline "MU women’s basketball takes team-family concept to a whole new level."