Sophie Cunningham has sparked controversy yet again after the WNBA issued a $1,500 fine following her debut episode on the Show Me Something podcast, which premiered July 28.
Throughout the episode, the Indiana Fever guard didn’t hold back. She delivered an unfiltered critique of the WNBA’s officiating consistency:
“If I was a ref, I know I’d mess up all the time… But when it is a simple call right in front of your face multiple times… What are you doing? What are you doing?… They’re just so inconsistent.”
These remarks, made on-air, prompted the league to hand down the new fine.
Cunningham revealed the information during the podcast’s second episode, causing her co-host, West Wilson to react in shock, asking Cunningham how the WNBA notified her.
“What happens is they email our GM,” Cunningham said, explaining how she was pulled aside and told simply, “‘hey, they’re gonna fine you again.'”
This penalty comes just weeks after the Indiana Fever guard was previously docked $500 back in July for a TikTok video in which she satirized league referees while lipsyncing to Sabrina Carpenter‘s “Manchild,” with overlaying text tagging “@ some refs” and mouthing the lyrics “Stupid. Or is it slow? Maybe it’s useless.”
“I got fined $500 for this TikTok idk why this is funny to me… like ok, you got it bud! Cause there’s not more important things to be worried about with our league right now,” she wrote on an X caption while sharing the video.
Despite these fines, Cunningham remains unapologetic, continuing to defend her stance publicly and suggesting the league is overly sensitive to criticism. In one social media reply she reportedly quipped:
“The endless WNBA war on the people who are bringing attention to their product while protecting the behavior that turns people off NEVER ceases to amaze me.”
Rising tensions over officiating and free speech
Cunningham‘s outspoken criticisms come as broader concerns about officiating in the WNBA have grown louder.
Other players, including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, have also voiced frustration over inconsistent foul calls. Even Fever head coach Stephanie White has publicly echoed concern.
Cunningham‘s role began to rise during a heated June game between Indiana and the Connecticut Sun.
Following an eye poke to Caitlin Clark and a subsequent scuffle, Cunningham committed a hard foul on Jacy Sheldon, earning a flagrant-2 and ejection. The league later fined her for the late hit, though no suspensions were issued.
Cunningham has continued to criticize the league, pointing out what she sees as misplaced focus on trivial issues while officiating problems persist across the WNBA.
Coach White commented that “everybody’s getting better, except the officials,” calling for consistency across games.
Read the full article here
