Sophie Cunningham was no stranger to receiving fines in 2025.<\/p>\n
The Fever guard frequently made headlines<\/a> for her public criticism of WNBA referees throughout the season, whether it be in a post-game press conference or on her podcast, Show Me Something. She was not the only player to verbally express her frustration, but it quickly became a running joke with Cunningham having to pay the price for her words. <\/p>\n While some of the fines came as no surprise to Cunningham, one in particular stood out when it was levied. <\/p>\n \u201cThere was one fine that I was giving my opinion on the refs, but then the next episode of my podcast, I actually was apologizing to the refs and I was like, \u2018You know, they do have a hard job,\u2019\u201d Cunningham said to Sports Illustrated at an event promoting Sun Cruiser. \u201cAnd I got fined for that. So that was the most surprising one.\u201d<\/p>\n Sophie Cunningham was most surprised by THIS fine from the WNBA \ud83d\ude06 pic.twitter.com\/QaSIPhVpMR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Cunningham can laugh off the fines now, but she made her thoughts known as many of her Fever teammates suffered season-ending injuries\u2014herself included. She often called for referees to be consistent and to protect players, including teammate Caitlin Clark<\/a>, from games getting too physical and leading to injuries. <\/p>\n Though the fines have not fully stopped Cunningham from speaking her mind, she admits the one she received after apologizing opened her eyes about future commentary. <\/p>\n \u201cI was like, \u2018All right, I should just be quiet,\u2019\u201d Cunningham said. <\/p>\n Cunningham has spent part of her offseason promoting beverage brand Sun Cruiser after signing an endorsement deal with the brand, while she and the rest of the WNBA await a new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be ratified. She says the brand was a perfect fit for her personality.<\/p>\n \u201cI have such a busy lifestyle, especially in season,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cSo out of season, I just want to relax. I want to have a good time. I want to have fun. … And that’s what that brand is all about. It\u2019s an easy drink, it\u2019s a relaxing drink, it\u2019s fun, it\u2019s chill, and so it fit into my lifestyle perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n More WNBA on Sports Illustrated