Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was fined $500 by the WNBA after posting a TikTok that appeared to mock league officiating, a source with knowledge of the fine unauthorized to discuss the matter publicly told The Athletic.
In the video, Cunningham lip-synced to a line from Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Manchild” — “Stupid, or is it slow? Maybe it’s useless” — with an overlying caption: “@ some refs.”
The clip, posted Friday, has garnered more than 1.2 million views. Wednesday, Cunningham responded to the fine on X.
Advertisement
“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.”
This isn’t the first time the Fever have faced disciplinary action over officiating remarks. Coach Stephanie White was fined earlier this season after questioning the league’s consistency after a loss to the Washington Mystics.
When asked in May whether the WNBA should protect players from overly physical play, White didn’t hold back.
“Obviously, I think we can get better in certain areas as far as how we call the game, consistency with how we call the game,” White responded. “Are we going to say that we want a free-flowing offensive game, or are we going to have tough, grind-out physical games? And whatever way it is, the players will adjust and coaches will adjust, but we can’t have it be one way one quarter and another way another quarter.”
Advertisement
Cunningham was also fined earlier this year after being assessed a flagrant 2 for her role in a skirmish that broke out at the conclusion of a mid-June game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun. She received an additional fine for her role in the scuffle that followed the initial foul.
This season, WNBA players and coaches have repeatedly criticized the league over officiating standards.
Fine transparency has also been an issue, as coach and player fines are seldom publicized by the league, sparking complaints about the lack of public information and inconsistency with punishments. In early June, New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud and forward Isabelle Harrison received a fine warning for wearing hats on the sideline of New York’s victory over the Las Vegas Aces. Neither played in the game due to injury.
The warning, as was the case with Cunningham, sparked frustration with the league’s fine protocols.
Advertisement
“I just feel like we’re doing nitpicky s—,” Cloud said. “I’d rather the W focus on actual things than trying to take our money for wearing what we want to wear and expressing ourselves.”
The Fever lost to Cloud’s Liberty in each of their last two games. Indiana hosts the Aces on Thursday night.
Both incidents highlight ongoing tensions among WNBA players, coaches and the league over officiating standards and accountability.
— The Athletic’s Ben Pickman contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Indiana Fever, WNBA
2025 The Athletic Media Company
