Indiana Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Makes Request to WNBA After Receiving Punishment

Indiana Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Makes Request to WNBA After Receiving Punishment originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Sophie Cunningham has become one of the WNBA’s most visible stars thanks to her on-court toughness and outspoken nature — particularly as it pertains to her teammate Caitlin Clark. The 28-year-old veteran, now in her seventh season, was traded to the Indiana Fever in January and has played a crucial role in the team’s success so far this season.

Averaging 8.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 24 games, Cunningham has helped the Fever to 17 wins in 2025 and continues to be an ever present voice in the locker room. However, she has also consistently been in the spotlight for her off-court commentaries this year, including speaking out against league officials.

WNBA Hits Sophie Cunningham With $1,500 Fine

Cunningham recently found herself in hot water following comments she made about the WNBA after her infamous $500 fine for mocking league refs on a viral TikTok video:

“They’re just so inconsistent,” Cunningham said during Episode 1 of her newly launched Show Me Something podcast. “That’s my thing. Like, if you’re on the other team and you’re going to be fining the [expletive] out of me, cool. But let me do it to you. Yeah. You know what I mean? I think that players across the league and new fans across the country, everyone’s like, ‘What is going on with refs?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ … And you fining me $500 is not going to do [expletive].”

Now, in a recent episode released on Tuesday, Cunningham announced she was hit with another $1,500 fine by the WNBA for those comments:

“The WNBA fined me,” Cunningham revealed. “They email our GM and she pulls me aside… and she just smiled and goes, ‘Hey, they’re gonna fine you again.'"

sophie got fined $1500 for ref comments on ep 1 lmfaoooo

“they email our gm and she pulls me aside…and she just smiled and goes hey they’re gonna fine you again. i even told them i credited them that their job was hard! i did say that and i said that i would not be good at it.” pic.twitter.com/fEVq4kIJws

— correlation (@nosyone4) August 5, 2025

Sophie Cunningham Makes Request to WNBA Amid New Punishment

Despite the recent pushback she received from the WNBA, Cunningham made a request to the league. In the latest podcast episode, she said she wants to be mic’d up more often during games to help fans experience her personality and in-game communication—though she admits her language might be an issue.

“Every time I’ve been mic’d up... they’d be like F, F, F, F,” she joked. “But I’ll just say ‘Mic me up.’”

With her history of blunt remarks, giving her a live mic could open the door to even more fines in the future. Whether the WNBA will embrace her candid voice or continue disciplining it remains uncertain. But right now, it appears she’s open to testing more boundaries when it comes to being vocal.

Related: Indiana Fever Earn New Position in ESPN’s Power Rankings After Caitlin Clark Update

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.