$2,000. This is the amount Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been fined in 2025 for publicly criticizing the WNBA and its officials. The first penalty, $500, came after a TikTok video lip-syncing Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Manchild,” seemingly mocking referees. This was quickly followed by a $1,500 fine for her comments on the league and its officiating during her podcast. And just when it seemed she might ease up, Cunningham incurred another penalty for remarks about Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers. But on the latest episode of her podcast, did she tone down? Far from it.

During the latest “Show Me Something” podcast episode, Cunningham unabashedly used the “ref” word while discussing her injured teammate Lexi Hull, acknowledging, “Well, I don’t think I have to numb it down. I think if I say the word ref on this podcast, I’m going to get fined, so I might as well go balls to the wall.” She then expressed sympathy for Hull’s injury: “First of all, have you seen the pictures though of Lexi? Brutal. It’s crazy. She’s so pretty that if anyone’s going to look like that, let it be Lexi because she can still somehow make it look pretty in a way.”

While Cunningham highlighted her Indiana Fever teammate, Lexi Hull’s injury, she could not do so without using the forbidden word. Highly unbothered about getting fines further, Cunningham went all guns blazing against the whistle-blowers. But that was not all. Cunningham further pointed out how she has even greater issues with the WNBA officials.

“So, what kind of really p***d me off about last week are three things. And again, I was high on meds, but it still triggered my hate for the refs,” Cunningham began. “So, they were playing Minnesota, which Minnesota is a great great team. But I think what is kind of getting out of hand is the rest are allowing it to be too physical. And then people can get away with certain stuff and then that’s when emotions flare. And that’s when you kind of see fights or people doing things that they probably shouldn’t be doing.”

Cunningham detailed the first foul against Hull in a recent game versus Minnesota, when Kayla McBride elbowed Hull after a jumper. Although initially called a foul, Cunningham felt the play should have been upgraded. “I know if it was anyone on our team, if it was me, probably because I talk sh** on here and then my reputation, they would have probably thrown me out. So, yeah, that’s not okay.” She praised Hull’s toughness despite the injury, likely causing a concussion. The foul was later upgraded to a technical, though it drew online backlash.

“That should have been upgraded because I know if it was anyone on our team, if it was me, probably because I talk sh** on here and then my reputation, they would have probably thrown me out. So, yeah, that’s that’s not okay,” she clarified. “So, that happened to Lex. She got nailed. Like, probably was concussed. I have no idea. I felt so bad for the girl. She’s probably the one of the toughest players you will ever meet.” Exposing the underlying inconsistencies of the officials, Cunningham clearly felt that the foul should have been upgraded.

However, referees did convert the common foul into a technical foul after reviewing the play. While the upgrade was met with severe online backlash, Cunningham commended Hull for her toughness. After all, Hull added 6 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists to the roster. But that was just a trailer for what was in store for the Fever athlete and her teammates.

“Then the next game we played Seattle, who’s also a great team. They’re kind of struggling. We beat him by like 20,” Cunningham added. “And then her and Gabby. Gabby’s awesome. She’s like one of my good friends. She did not mean to, but her and Lexi on accident nailed each other. And then that’s where Lexi immediately had like a huge knot. That’s what gave her a black eye. She looked like an avatar. She sent me a picture and I like face-timed her immediately and I was like, “Dude, are you okay?”

While the Indiana Fever won 95-75 against the Seattle Storm, this victory came at a price. Lexi Hull collided with Gabby Williams in the early minutes of the first quarter. And despite suffering visible injuries, which included a protruding forehead and two blackened eyes, Hull failed to succumb to the scare. Instead, she returned with firepower and added a 24-foot pointer that forced her opponents into a timeout.

And though Cunningham raised concern for Hull and her team by highlighting the physicality that largely exists in the WNBA, she failed to do so without outrightly blaming the officials for their poor calls and inconsistent behavior, unbothered even if she lands up with another fine.

Sophie Cunningham opens up on the physicality

After the Indiana Fever faced physicality against Lexi Hull in two consecutive games recently, Sophie Cunningham was not to remain quiet. While she stood up for her injured teammate, on physicality more broadly, Cunningham said, “I am for physicality, but like you’ve got to… there’s a certain—we are elite-level athletes and it is physical and you get frustrated. You get tired of people hitting you. It’s going to get out of hand. And that’s where I think everyone is just like jump balls. Call the jump ball fast so then you’re not like, yeah… Get it over with.”

Cunningham’s frustration with officiating also extends to a physical play involving the Connecticut Sun player Jacy Sheldon against Caitlin Clark, where Cunningham’s response was more about the inconsistent calls affecting outcomes rather than the physicality itself.

Sophie Cunningham’s outspoken nature and fierce loyalty to her teammates continue to put her at odds with the WNBA’s officials, resulting in multiple fines this season. Despite the penalties, she shows no signs of backing down from addressing inconsistencies in officiating and standing up for injured players like Lexi Hull. Cunningham’s fearless voice highlights ongoing tensions between player expression and league discipline in women’s basketball.