Sophie Cunningham is not someone who dances around with her thoughts. She had already made her “point” clear in a cryptic social media post after A’ja Wilson’s confrontation with a Fever fan, and now she is opening up about how she feels about the incident in much greater detail.
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On the latest episode of her No Hesitation podcast, Cunningham revisited the incident with co-host Drew Hanlen and explained why she thought the reaction towards the fan had gone too far.
“Us women in sport…We yell from the rooftops that we want equality, that we want to be treated like the men, that we want all this stuff, and we deserve all these things. But if you’re asking for all these fans to come, and you have new fans who are real sports fans, and they come and do something that a sports fan would probably do if you’re on the opposing team, and then we’re gonna go for them for just pointing and saying, ‘You fouled!’? Like, grow up! What are we doing?” Cunningham said on the ‘No Hesitation’ podcast.
The incident in question happened late in Game 2. With just around four minutes left in the fourth quarter, A’ja Wilson drew contact as Sophie Cunningham screened her. While Cunningham went down to the floor and was assessed a foul, Wilson proceeded towards the stands and soon got into an altercation with a fan sitting courtside, who reportedly shouted, “It’s [foul] on you.”
Wilson turned toward the fan and said, “You don’t point at me!”
The exchange heated up, and officials and teammates had to be involved to separate the two. Wilson was given a technical foul for “unsportsmanlike conduct.” Meanwhile, the fan, who had left the sidelines after the interaction, returned to his seat later and was reportedly seen high-fiving those around him.
For Cunningham, the issue was simply not about the gesture. She thinks athletes who want passionate supporters and a growing audience also have to accept that those fans will react to what ultimately happens on the court.
“You should be grateful to be on this platform. You should be grateful to be playing basketball for a living and inspiring the next generation. If you really want sports fans, then you’re gonna get sports fans. That includes pointing. That includes getting yelled at.”
Cunningham also went on to say that she herself has faced plenty of backlash in her career so far. She has heard “the worst of the worst,” she said. So, she feels that the fan involved in the incident did not do anything to deserve such a strong response.
“I don’t think [the Fever fan] did absolutely anything wrong,” Cunningham said definitively.
Cunningham also moved past Wilson and turned her attention to the WNBA itself in the podcast. She called them out for their double standard and went on to give a rather bold take.
“She’s the LeBron James of our league, and so, of course, they’re not gonna suspend her,” Cunningham claimed.
Wilson was ultimately available for the deciding Game 3. The league did not suspend or fine her, with officials determining, after reviewing the incident, that she had remained in the player escape lane beside the stanchion rather than entering the stands. She had already received a technical foul during the game. Cunningham still felt there should have been consequences.
“She should have been, you know, something should have happened there. The two people who came off the bench onto the court, that should have happened. I think there’s definitely a double standard.”
Even then, Cunningham wanted the Aces star to be on the floor for the deciding game. She thought that was better for the series.
“Of course, we wanted her to play. … That makes good basketball and I don’t think it would have been if we would have won and she wouldn’t have been there, I don’t think it would have been fair,” Cunningham said. “We would have gotten a lot of backlash from that. But I think, for someone pointing and saying that the foul was on you, like, girl up.”
Now, Cunningham had actually already hinted at her stance on this before she gave her whole stance on the podcast. A few days back, she posted a TikTok while drinking her morning coffee, joking about it being a “comeback year for the point.” And there is a personal history behind the joke, too.
Earlier in the season, Cunningham herself had a viral pointing exchange with former Fever player DeWanna Bonner. That made her decision to joke about another pointing incident all the more fitting.
Now, Cunningham’s take on the matter opened a whole new can of worms, with fans rushing to the comment section of the clip, which was reposted on Instagram by The Sporting News.
“Aja Charmin ultra soft,” said one fan online.
“She is 100% right. Argue with a wall. I watched sports all my life. I remember Duke vs. NC and the crowd chanting wild shit or trying to touch the players when they were on the sideline. If A’ja can’t take the heat, then get out of the kitchen. She is a professional victim,” another fan added.
“Spot on. They always angry, never apologetic; the crowd can’t resist,” said one fan.
Indiana Fever GM Amber Cox has also given her thoughts on this issue, coming out in support of the Fever fans, calling it “a home-court advantage for a reason.” Cox, while saying that fans who cross the line should face consequences, also said that Fever fans were not the problem.
“She’s hundred percent true!,” another fan chipped in.
“She’s 100% right. Not the best player, but 100% right,” one fan added.
The fans also questioned as to why Wilson was not suspended after the game, when it is normal to see something like this happen regularly to players in other leagues. WNBA analyst Jon Root also pointed this out.
“Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson will not face a suspension, a fine, OR ANY repercussions for entering the seating area* & confronting a Fever fan in Game 2…None of the Aces’ players who left the bench or confronted fans will face repercussions either,” wrote Root on X.
Instead of settling down, the incident got renewed attention as Wilson’s mom held a “Love beats hate” sign after Game 3. Fans couldn’t help but wonder about its connection to the Game 2 incident. By the looks of it, it seems that this incident will remain a topic of conversation with the fans for some time.
Regardless of the exchange, the Aces won the series 2-1 with A’ja Wilson leading the charge, despite losing Game 2. Wilson and Co. will now turn their attention to the semifinals. They face the Golden State Valkyries, who defeated the Dallas Wings to claim their semifinal spot.