Sophie Cunningham Has One Question for WNBA After Punishment
Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever are set to begin the 2026 WNBA season on Saturday, facing off against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. Last year, her first with Indiana, Cunningham helped the Fever secure a spot in the playoffs, but saw her season cut short after suffering a torn MCL in August.
While Cunningham became a star for Indiana during the 2025 season, the former Phoenix Mercury guard also was among the most penalized players in the WNBA, receiving three fines during the season. The first came in a June 17 game against the Connecticut Sun, when she was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected after an altercation with Jacy Sheldon.
In July, Cunningham was fined again, this time $500, after sharing a TikTok post that criticized WNBA officials. In August, she received her largest fine of the season, a $1,500 penalty for again criticizing officials on her podcast, "Show Me Something."
"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?" Cunningham said.
In a recent episode of "Show Me Something," Cunningham said the WNBA and its officials are focused on improving heading into the 2026 season, but she raised one question about accountability.
"New year, fresh start," Cunningham commented. "And we've had meetings with the refs and I think that they have owned up for last year truly. Like in all of our meetings, they're like, ‘We've got to be better.' Wait, does that mean I get my money back? Like if they're starting to agree with what I saw the entire time, should I be able to get my money back?"
So the league agreed the refereeing was bad.
— Mew7777 (@justmew7777) May 8, 2026
Lol, Sophie asking if she is getting her money back!! pic.twitter.com/PKJLucTJ3G
Cunningham and the Fever will open the 2026 season on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Related: Indiana Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Announces Career News on Wednesday
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 12:41 PM.