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\nIndiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was fined for a TikTok she posted criticizing the WNBA’s refereesCunningham laughed off the $500 fine, writing on social media that “this is funny to me”Players and coaches around the league have consistently criticized the WNBA’s officials throughout the 2025 season<\/p>\n
Sophie Cunningham<\/a> is laughing off a fine from the WNBA that she got for criticizing the league\u2019s referees in a TikTok.\n<\/p>\n The Indiana Fever star, 28, said on social media Wednesday, July 23 that she was fined $500 over the video<\/a>, which she originally shared on Friday on TikTok.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The video saw Cunningham in a hotel room singing along to a verse from Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s hit \u201cManchild,\u201d which includes the lyrics: \u201cStupid, or is it slow? Maybe it\u2019s: useless.\u201d The Fever shooting guard wrote the caption \u201c@ some refs\u201d over the video.\n<\/p>\n In a follow-up post<\/a> Wednesday, Cunningham blasted the league\u2019s decision to fine her over the video.<\/p>\n \u201cI got fined $500 for this TikTok,\u201d Cunningham wrote alongside a pair of crying laughing emojis. \u201cIdk why this is funny to me\u2026 like ok [thumbs up emoji] you got it bud! Cause there\u2019s not more important things to be worried about with our league right now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n WNBA referee Isaac Barnett and Sophie Cunningham discuss a call during a game on July 15, 2025.<\/p>\n Erica Denhoff\/Icon Sportswire via Getty<\/p>\n The debate over the WNBA\u2019s referees has been the talk of the 2025 season thus far. Last week, ESPN wrote an expansive piece<\/a> about the criticism over the league\u2019s officiating made by players and coaches across the WNBA, which pointed to several instances during the first half of the season in which \u201ctensions over officiating have boiled over\u201d on the court.\n<\/p>\n In recent weeks alone, WNBA superstar \u2014 and Cunningham\u2019s teammate \u2014 Caitlin Clark got into a heated exchange with a referee and needed to be held back from continuing to argue with the official.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese said<\/a> the league\u2019s issues with officiating \u201chas to be fixed\u201d after one frustrating game earlier this month in which she felt there was an imbalance of foul calls against her team. “I am tired of this s—,\u201d Reese said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Last month, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum called the officiating \u201cf\u2013—– absurd.”\n<\/p>\n And Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase echoed<\/a> the calls of many around the league when she said during a recent press conference that players and coaches are \u201cbegging for consistency\u201d in WNBA\u2019s officiating after a game against the Phoenix Mercury came down to a free throw.\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n Sophie Cunningham.<\/p>\n David L. Nemec\/NBAE via Getty<\/p>\n Controversy surrounding referees is nothing new in sports, but as the WNBA grows in popularity and viewership, more scrutiny has also fallen upon the league to increase the quality of its on-the-court product.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody’s getting better, except the officials,\u201d Cunningham said last month, according to the Indianapolis Star<\/a>. \u201cSo we got to find a way to remedy it. I mean, you’ve heard every coach talk about it, so I don’t know what the answer is.\u201d\n<\/p>\n During an interview ahead of the WNBA All-Star game earlier this month, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert appeared to signal that change is coming soon, according to the newspaper, telling reporters, \u201cwe hear the concerns.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, consistency is important,\u201d the commissioner said. \u201cI realize consistency is the name of the game, so I think it\u2019s something we definitely look at and evaluate.\u201d\n<\/p>\n