Sophie Cunningham has a perfect nickname in the league that explains her character on and off the court—Sassy Sophie. The forward speaks her heart out, openly gives credit where it is due, and criticizes when she feels unjust. While appreciations are welcome, criticism could bother many.
The WNBA, in particular, has been keeping an eye on the Fever forward. With her new podcast launched a few days ago, the league found some offensive comments and fined the star $ 1500.
Sophie Cunningham Opens Up On Her New $1500 Fine
The comment was from the first episode of the ‘Show Me Something’ podcast. It was a massive hit, and fans quickly praised the star for being unfiltered in her comments. But that’s what got the league angry and they slapped $1500 fine on the 28-year-old star for comments on referee.
In the second episode, the star opened up about the fine and laughed about it. She narrated the story to her co-host and mentioned that she will continue to be true.
“They fined me $1,500. I’m like, ‘This is just the beginning.’ I’m like, ‘You’re kidding.’ They email our GM, and she pulls me aside and says, ‘Sophie, I’ve got to talk to you,’ and this is in front of everybody. I’m like, ‘What did I do now?’ And just smiled and she goes, ‘Hey, they’re going to fine you again,‘“ Cunningham said on the podcast’s second episode (Via X/nosyone4).
sophie got fined $1500 for ref comments on ep 1 lmfaoooo
— correlation (@nosyone4) August 5, 2025
“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
Her story shocked the podcast co-host. In the premiere, she mentioned that the officials are inconsistent, and others feel the same way.
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She also mentioned that she would have made several mistakes if she had taken the role of refereeing WNBA games. She even jokingly mentioned that she might have to pay the fine in episode one only. And the league followed the procedure.
WNBA Taking Stricter Actions Against Sophie Cunningham
The first episode of her podcast had many topics other than officiating. She praised her teammate Caitlin Clark and even called her face of the league. But she was not fined for any other comments other than the ones made over referees.
This is not the first time the league has tried to keep the former Missouri star away from fiery comments. They fined her $500 for her questionable TikTok video. The recent fine for similar comments looks like an upgrade. The league also fined the forward $900 for her fight during the game against the Connecticut Sun at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse arena.
Interestingly, the star profited from these fines. She even discussed the league expansion, but mentioned that those are her personal views. The ‘W’ let that pass with her acknowledgement.
Also Read: Sophie Cunningham Jokes She Could ‘Get Canceled Real Fast’ For Her Bold Career Move