Cunningham was born in Nigeria right before her parents fled the country with her two sisters during the Biafra conflict.[2] Her mother, a United States citizen, was working in Nigeria as a member of the U.S. Peace Corps and relocated the family to Cupertino, California.[2] Her Nigerian father escaped the country by boat and rejoined his family in California, though their marriage ended in divorce shortly after.[2] Cunningham attended Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California where she became a varsity softball athlete.[4]