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WNBA players have been outspoken about the ongoing CBA negotiations, but many have also expressed their frustration about another issue: officiating. The latest example is Sophie Cunningham.
The Indiana Fever forward posted a TikTok last week lip-syncing to a portion of the song “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter with the lyrics “Stupid or is it slow? Maybe it’s useless?” She added text on the screen that read “@ some refs.”
Cunningham tweeted Wednesday that she received a $500 fine for the video. The Athletic confirmed that the 28-year-old received the fine from the WNBA. The tiny fines correspond with the overall salary structure in the WNBA, which the players are in the midst of negotiating. For reference, NBA star Anthony Edwards was fined $40,000 in 2022 for using offensive language on social media.
Cunningham, a seven-year WNBA veteran, has seen her TikTok following explode in recent months due to her link to teammate Caitlin Clark. Cunningham has 1.5 million TikTok followers, up from about 115,000 in May, according to Social Blade.
League-Wide Problem
Cunningham is far from the only player to express displeasure with the officiating. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese said earlier this month, after a loss to the Minnesota Lynx, that the league’s officiating “has to be fixed.”
Reese even added that she didn’t care about a potential fine, considering the small fee.
“I don’t give a damn if I get fined because that shit is cheap, and I’m tired of this shit. ’Cause I’ve been nice, and I’ve been humble with it, but I am tired of this shit,” Reese said.
Even the 2024 WNBA Finals were marred with officiating concerns. The New York Liberty sent the decisive Game 5 to overtime—when they would eventually win—after Breanna Stewart was fouled and sank two free throws in regulation. Lynx star Napheesa Collier took subtle jabs at the officiating on a post-Finals photo carousel on Instagram.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was asked about officiating during her press conference ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday, saying it’s something the league will “continue to work on.”
“We hear the concerns. We take that input. Every play is reviewed. Spend hours and hours and hours. Obviously, we use that then to follow up with officials, training,” Engelbert said.
She added that “no one’s ever happy with officiating” across all sports and leagues.
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