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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been fined for the second time this season by the WNBA for making critical comments about league officiating, she revealed on her podcast earlier this week.
Cunningham said she was fined $1,500 following remarks made during the debut episode of Show Me Something, which aired July 28. The penalty follows a previous $500 fine she received in July for a TikTok video perceived as mocking WNBA referees.
“They’re just so inconsistent,” Cunningham said on the podcast, as reported by Alyce Brown of the Associated Press. “If I was a ref, I know I would mess up all the time. Like, I’m not saying that your job is easy, but when it is a simple call in front of your face multiple times, what are you doing? What are you doing?”
She said she learned of the fine when Fever general manager Amber Cox pulled her aside.
“She just smiles and goes, ‘Hey, they’re gonna fine you again,’” Cunningham said. “I even credit them that their job was hard. I did say that … look at the whole picture. What are we doing?”
Cunningham, 28, co-hosts the podcast with West Wilson and has used the platform to speak candidly about her experiences during her first season with the Fever. In the July 28 episode, she expressed what she sees as widespread frustration across the league.
“I think players across the league, and new fans across the country, are like, ‘What is going on with the refs?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know,’” she said.
The latest fine brings Cunningham’s total to $2,000 for officiating-related commentary.
The veteran guard is averaging eight points, 3.8 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 41.9% from three-point range this season. Indiana (17-13) will face the Phoenix Mercury Thursday night to wrap up their road trip. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
