“The league has bigger issues”: WNBA star Sophie Cunningham fined $500 for TikTok making fun of referees

Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham says she was fined after posting a TikTok aimed at WNBA referees.

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In the video, Cunningham mouths the line “Stupid… Or is it slow?… Maybe it’s useless?” from Sabrina Carpenter’s latest single “Manchild.” The on‑screen text reads, “@ some refs.”

The original video was received well by her fans. So far, it’s been viewed 1.4 million times and has hundreds of comments. 

On July 23, she posted the clip to X with an update. “I got fined $500 for this TikTok.”

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Writing that she finds the situation funny, she added a poignant remark, “Cause there’s no more important things to be worried about with our league right now.”

Cunningham, 28, currently plays for the Indiana Fever, joining the team in early 2025 after six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury.

Referee frustrations took center stage this season

Referees have been a topic of debate this WNBA season.

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In recent weeks, Sophie Cunningham’s Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark was caught in a fiery back‑and‑forth with a ref, needing teammates to pull her away before things escalated further.

Beyond Cunningham’s TikTok, Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese also publicly slammed the officiating as “diabolical” after a game with vastly different free-throw counts for each team.

Fans say they’ll cover the costs

Many fans were quick to back Cunningham, with one writing, “I think the league has bigger issues it should focus on. I’ll chip in on fines. Keep being yourself and having fun.”

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“This is actually the money they use to pay the refs,” another jokes.

“Where is the GoFundMe… we got you,” a third adds.

“The endless WNBA war on the people who are bringing attention to their product while protecting the behavior that turns people off NEVER ceases to amaze me,” chimes in another commenter. 

“You and Caitlin can easily just go find an investor and start a new league. You two are the draw,” a fifth states. “The numbers are clear. Why put up with the cheap shots on the court and the slander off of it? The entire business fails if you leave.”

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The Daily Dot has reached out to Sophie Cunningham for official comment. 

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