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Like she had every game throughout Liverpool High School’s (New York) 2022-23 season, sophomore A’Briyah Cunningham started on the bench in the Section III final. As Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse traded baskets, head coach Mike Wheeler needed a spark plug.

Liverpool’s leading scorer, Nevaeh Wingate, faced tough pressure and foul trouble. So, Wheeler called upon his sixth woman: Cunningham. The guard made an instant impact defensively in the Warriors’ 1-3-1 zone before percolating offensively. By the final buzzer, her 20 points and six steals clinched the Warriors’ first sectional title since 2007.

“Nobody wants to come off the bench,” Cunningham said. “But when you go in the game, you gotta play like you started.”

That was the last time Cunningham entered off the bench. As a full-time starter in her junior year, she averaged 21.0 points per game en route to All-CNY Player of the Year, earning a Division I offer from Merrimack College. Now, Cunningham is trying to lead Liverpool to its second title in three years after it lost in the state final last year. Thus far, the Warriors are 13-2, while Cunningham is scoring 22.3 points per game.

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Influenced by her older sister Amaya, who played at Liverpool and Onondaga Community College, Cunningham’s basketball interest sparked from a young age. She said watching LeBron James and Stephen Curry further fueled her enthusiasm for the sport.

Though she thrived in her childhood, Cunningham only made two appearances in her freshman year. While she eventually became Liverpool’s sixth woman as a sophomore, she craved to improve her shooting to fully break out.

“She’s raw. She’s super athletic, but she needs more time in the gym just to sharpen her skills,” Kevin Randall, Cunningham’s AAU coach for the Syracuse Nets, said.

Cunningham joined the Nets the summer after winning the sectional championship with Liverpool in 2023. While developing her shot, Cunningham traveled with the Nets across the country, playing 40 games against the best players nationally. The increased schedule, quicker pace and heightened physicality of AAU basketball allowed Cunningham to adapt to various situations on the court.

Randall was impressed by her flexibility and work ethic. Known for her charisma, she thrived in high-pressure environments, often delivering her best performances in packed gyms with high stakes.

Cunningham’s time with the Nets was essential in preparing her for her junior season, where she became the Cardinals’ first option. Her work resulted in individual dominance and guided the Warriors back to the state championship. This time, however, they fell short.

“It definitely hurts, because nobody wants to lose all the way and stay in second place,” Cunningham said.

Though the loss was a painful experience, Cunningham channeled that disappointment into determination, using it as a reminder to never take a play for granted.

“She actually knows what it takes to get back, and that’s a good feeling to have. Not only is it a tough feeling to lose a state championship game, but also to know what it’s like to lose and have another opportunity next year to get back,” Wheeler said.

The tough loss inspired Cunningham, pushing both herself and her teammates to defend their sectional title and search for more this season. As Wheeler has noticed, Cunningham is fully embracing her role as a senior.

She’s no longer just a spark. She’s a flame that can’t be extinguished.

“The ‘spark’ was when she was coming off the bench. And I think the word I could use for now is ‘consistency,’” Wheeler said. “When she was coming off the bench, it was just expected. She just came out and played. Now it’s more expected of her to just be that ball of energy every time she starts.”

On Dec. 27, 2024, Cunningham dropped a team-high 28 points, leading Liverpool to a 67-63 victory over St. Francis High School and reaching over 1,000 points in her high-school career. However, the immediate joy of surpassing 1,000 career points isn’t distracting her from her main goal.

“It’s a big encouragement. It’s a big thing for me,” Cunningham said. “But I’m just more worried about winning the sectional title and the state title for our team altogether … (I want to) leave high school with a ring. That’s my goal.”

Published on January 27, 2025 at 10:25 pm