Sophie Cunningham fined $500 for TikTok video criticizing officiating

USA Today

a day ago

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham's pockets are a little lighter after a social media video resulted in a fine.
On Wednesday, Cunningham revealed she was fined $500 by the WNBA over a TikTok video that seemingly criticized officiating, which has become a hot button issue in the league in recent weeks. In the video addressed to "some refs," Cunningham lip-synced Sabrina Carpenter's new single "Manchild." She sang, "Stupid. Or is it... slow? Maybe it's ... useless?" in the video, which has amassed more than 1.3 million views on TikTok as of Thursday.
Cunningham, 28, appeared to laugh off the fine, writing, "Idk why this is funny to me… like ok you got it bud! Cause there's not more important things to be worried about with our league right now."
USA TODAY Sports reached out to the WNBA, which declined to comment.
I got fined $500 for this TikTok 🤣🤣 idk why this is funny to me… like ok 👍🏼 you got it bud! Cause there's not more important things to be worried about with our league right now pic.twitter.com/ELAlguHhMQ
Cunningham is not the only WNBA player or coach to voice frustration this season over inconsistent calls and the physicality of the game.
Following the Fever's 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 24, head coach Stephanie White sounded off against "disappointing" calls that didn't "go both ways." White confirmed she was fined days later when asked about officiating again: "Do you want me to get fined again? Because I did just get fined."
Similarly, Angel Reese said officiating "has to be fixed" following the Chicago Sky's 80-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on July 6, adding, "I don't give a damn if I get fined." Reese continued her criticism on social media, resharing a photo of her being held in the paint and urging the WNBA to "DO BETTER."
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon said "officiating was awful" after the Aces' 70-68 loss to the Washington Mystics on July 10. Following the press conference, Hammon said, "Tell me how much my fine is."
On July 14, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said she's "begging for consistency' after her team lost to the Phoenix Mercury by one point after a foul was called in the final seconds of a tie game.
It's not clear if Reese, Hammon and Nakase were fined for their comments. Unlike the NBA, the WNBA does not announce all fines levied against players or the amount docked for infractions.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed officiating concerns ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and assured that the league will "definitely look at and evaluate" officiating.
"We hear the concerns. We take that input. Every play is reviewed. Spend hours and hours and hours," she said. "Consistency is important, I think. I think some people observe our game versus other basketball formats, there aren't a ton of fouls called. I realize consistency is the name of the game. ... There's an independent evaluation of our officials. There are ramifications. So, it's something we need to continue to work on."
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