Sophie Cunningham’s ‘Unbothered’ Response to $500 Fine Leaves WNBA With New Problem to Solve originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham went on social media on Wednesday to reveal that the WNBA had punished her for posting a TikTok video criticizing the game officials.
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In the viral 10-second clip, the 28-year-old is seen taking a shot at “some refs,” who she described as “stupid,” “useless” and “slow.” In a subsequent post on X, Cunningham, who averages 7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 triples in 23.5 minutes per game, revealed that the WNBA had fined her for the TikTok video.
“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.
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Cunningham’s revelation quickly blew up online as fans rallied behind the veteran amid her latest controversy with the WNBA. The 6-foot-1 guard took note of one particular response, which she decided to repost.
The said comment criticized the league’s “WAR on the people who are bringing attention to their product,” which, in this case, is Cunningham. The user also accused the league of “protecting the behavior (of other players) that turns people off.”
Cunningham didn’t say anything about it, but the fact that she reposted the comment suggests that she agrees with the sentiment.
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The WNBA Is Dealing With a Bigger Issue
Cunningham also posted a follow-up video on TikTok on Wednesday night. While she no longer tagged the referees in her post, the former Missouri star revealed that she is currently feeling “so unbothered,” presumably by this whole issue.
One fan commented that Cunningham should brace for a $45 fine after this latest post, to which the Fever star responded in jest. “$46,” she wrote.
Jokes continued to pour in as the fans poked fun at the WNBA and their decision to punish Cunningham for her actions. Once again, the league has become the laughingstock in this case.
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This latest controversy highlights a broader underlying issue for the WNBA, as the league struggles to convince fans to take them seriously. They’re not helping themselves by targeting fan-favorites such as Cunningham with these fines.
At the same time, it’s also hard to deny that Cunningham didn’t violate league policy when she blatantly criticized the referees, albeit in a light-hearted way. This prompted the league to enforce its policy and punish Cunningham for her behavior, which has clearly backfired on them yet again.
These types of situations put the league in the middle of a rock and a hard place. It will be interesting to see if the WNBA takes action to change this narrative or if it opts to maintain the status quo.
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Related: Fans Are Asking the Same Thing About Sophie Cunningham After Indiana Fever’s New Post
Related: Sophie Cunningham Turns Heads With Her Outfit for Fever-Liberty Game
Related: Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Issues Serious Demand to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
