Sophie Cunningham, a star player for the Indiana Fever, has been fined $1,500 for her continued criticism of referees, marking a tripling of her previous fine of $500. This decision reflects the league’s strict approach to handling grievances related to officiating. Following her previous fine for similar comments on TikTok, Cunningham found herself in another situation where her remarks on her podcast, ‘Show Me Something,’ drew the attention of the league’s management. In her new podcast, Cunningham suggested that referees ‘mess up all the time,’ which led to further disciplinary action. She claimed, ‘If I was a ref, I know I would mess up all the time. Like, Iām not saying that your job is easy, but when it is a simple call right in front of your face multiple times, what are you doing? What are you doing?’
Cunningham’s comments sparked a deeper conversation about the role of referees in sports and the expectations placed on athletes to respect the officials. She was aware that her remarks would lead to consequences, noting, ‘They fined me $1,500. I’m like, ‘This is just the beginning.’ I’m like, ‘You’re kidding.’