Yeah, but I’m officially three for three     on being fined by the WNBA.     Holy For this     for the pod again.     They didn’t like my comments on Page     Beckers.     No way.     I didn’t even say anything bad.     The noise is only growing. Frustration     is bubbling over and conversations once     thought impossible are now being debated     openly across social media and sports     forums. Fans of Sophie Cunningham have     reached their breaking point and their     demands are no longer subtle. They want     her voice back. To them, it’s     unacceptable that she’s being muted by     an organization seemingly more invested     in polishing its image and shaping     narratives than in supporting its     athletes or fostering genuine,     transparent dialogue about what’s truly     taking place behind the scenes. The     patience of her supporters is gone.

She spoke about the league, but more     importantly, she stated she got another     fine for actually talking about Paige     Beckers. Now, we all ultimately know     what happened last time she had her     podcast. She let it be known that Paige     Becker’s got that blue blood whistle,     bro. And make a long story short, she     stated to WNBA finer for that. And she     spoke about Brie Harley. She also talked     about Caitlyn Clark rehab. But guys,     it’s unfortunate that she will be out     for the remain.     The movement is catching fire with fans     rallying behind Cunningham and urging     her to keep speaking out. Their message     is simple. If the WNBA is willing to     find players simply for expressing their     opinions, then the league has a much     deeper problem. This moment has grown     far bigger than basketball, it’s about     principle.

Supporters see an organization that’s     abandoned the very idea of free speech,     even when it comes from the athletes who     represent them.     So, the WNBA have done it. They have     done it. They have officially fined     Sophie Cunningham every podcast episode.     They have fined her. Kobe Gunningham has     been fined. I’m not joking.     She’s been fined um for a TikTok. She’s     been fined now, I think, for the third     time for a podcast. I think Sophie might     be the all-time leader in fines in the     WNBA. So, let’s take a listen. Sophie     Cunningham, now widely regarded as the     unapologetic voice of truth in women’s     basketball, has spoken out against what     she describes as a calculated effort to     pressure her into silence. Her     statements expose the deeper flaws     within the WNBA system. What began as     straightforward, candid discussion on     her podcast has escalated into an     outright battle over transparency.     Yet, through it all, Cunningham has made     one thing clear. She has no intention of     backing down. They are not protecting     their players. Nobody’s going to watch     this if you’re not protecting your star     players. You’re not protecting your     players, period. But particularly your     star players. No one’s going to watch     this. People are watching it because of     Caitlyn Clark and then they start then     even more because of Sophie Cunningham.     And if you’re going to just hang them     out to dry,     then you know, good. Nobody’s going to     watch us anymore cuz they don’t protect     their players. It’s a worthless     organization. They have no idea how to     protect their players. But oh man,     they’re going to and moan. Well,     you better pay us the money for what?     You can’t even You can’t even protect     your star players that draw the     eyeballs.

Now, nobody’s watching. Nobody     going to watch to see the star players     sitting out with injuries because of     poor treatment and poor officiating on     the sides. Nobody’s going to watch that.     If you’re enjoying this, make sure to     subscribe. What seemed like it would be     a routine podcast episode, just a     discussion about basketball and life,     quickly turned into another chapter in     the WNBA’s relentless effort to control     its own narrative.     Sophie Cunningham started her podcast,     Show Me Something, with co-host Wes     Wilson to create a space for open and     honest conversations about the league     she plays in. But instead of dialogue,     she’s found resistance.     Cunningham has discovered that in     today’s WNBA, speaking truth to power     doesn’t just stir controversy, it     carries a hefty price tag. She has     turned herself into a top five most     talked about player in the WNBA. And can     I tell you, I am loving the clips that     are coming out of this podcast. There’s     just so much fascinating elements of her     that make her this really alpha, really     strong, but really beautiful, spicy     villain. And I think she kind of likes     being the villain. I’m officially three     for three on being fined by the WNBA,     Cunningham confessed on her most recent     podcast episode. Her tone heavy with the     frustration of someone who has seen her     league place control above honesty. They     didn’t like what I said about Paige     Bukers. And truthfully, I didn’t even     say anything negative. But this time was     different. This time, Cunningham made it     clear she wasn’t going to bow to     intimidation.     The fines, which feel less like     correction and more like suppression,     only strengthened her resolve. With     every new episode of her show, she’s hit     with penalties so steep they raise a     larger question.     Is open, honest discourse even possible     in today’s WNBA? Or has transparency     become too costly to afford?     I’m officially three for three on being     fined by the WNBA.     Holy for this     for the pod again.     They didn’t like my comments on page     beggars.     No way.     I didn’t even say anything bad.

Uh     on on the on the on the whistle on the     quick whistle.     Yeah. But like why? Like     if we were talking about Paige, here’s a     good question.     They find her for saying Paige Beckers     has a good whistle. Like, I kid you not,     that is one of the craziest reasons I’ve     seen a player get fine.     What unfolded next was unlike anything     the WNBA had ever seen. Just days after     Cunningham exposed the league’s pattern     of fines, fans rallied behind her, not     only as an athlete, but as a fearless     voice willing to speak the truth no     matter the fallout.     Social media lit up with praise, dubbing     her the truth teller and demanding the     league put an end to silencing players     who challenge its carefully curated     narrative. When Sophie Cunningham     finally addressed the systematic fines     that have followed every episode of her     podcast, her message cut through the     usual diplomatic spin with striking     clarity, like a blade slicing straight     through the polished, empty language     that so often surrounds these     controversies. There is something     seriously wrong with how the W enforces     their rules. And I know there’s already     been a big emphasis on referee     inconsistencies, but at the end of the     day, the quality of referees is on the     WNBA, too, because again, I have no idea     where the line is. Because on one hand,     I kind of get it. It’s normal for a     league to find you if you’re going to     talk bad about the league or the players     in the league because that happens all     the time in the NBA, NFL, and so on.

But     on the other hand, why does the league     not care about its image when players     are standing over and cursing out their     opponents on the court? Like, where was     the enforcement here? Or where was it     here? Or where was it when the whole     entire league was bullying your star     player? And this stuff is happening all     the time in the WNBA, but why is it only     called on occasion? Which is why finding     Sophie Cunningham every time she has a     podcast seems kind of crazy because the     WBA obviously chooses when and when not     to enforce the rule. Here’s what makes     Cunningham’s situation so alarming. She     isn’t being fined for spreading     misinformation or making inflammatory     statements.     Instead, she’s being penalized for     straightforward observations about     officiating consistency and league     operations.     points that any reasonable fan,     journalist, or analyst could raise. The     WNBA has effectively built a system     where honest commentary about its     product leads directly to financial     punishment, no matter the accuracy or     intent behind the words. The fines     themselves highlight just how systematic     this campaign against Cunningham has     become. She was docked back/doll500     for a light-hearted Tik Tok in which she     merely lip-synced lyrics while     referencing referees.     She was then hit with a back/doll500     fine for discussing officiating     consistency during her very first     podcast episode. And most recently, the     league handed down yet another     undisclosed fine. This time for nothing     more than pointing out that referees     appeared to give favorable calls to     Dallas Wings rookie Paige Buers. Do they     when you get fined, do they do they put     like verbatim like quote here, quote     here, like this is why you’re being     fined and this is why it’s this much or     is it like hey quit talking on us     VMO us like 1500.     What happens is they they text or they     text they email our GM and she pulls me     aside and she goes, “Come here so I have     to talk to you.”

And this was in like     front of everybody and I was like, “What     did I do now?” And she just smiled and     she goes, “Hey, they’re going to find     you again.” They’re like I was like I     was like I even told them I even credit     them that their job was hard. I did say     that and I said that I would not be good     at it.     I did say that like like look at the     whole picture. What are we doing?     Let’s be honest about what this     conversation is really about.     It’s not about upholding league     standards or protecting reputations.     It’s about an organization so consumed     with controlling its public image that     it’s willing to financially punish its     own athletes for voicing observations     that millions of fans make every single     night. The WNBA’s treatment of Sophie     Cunningham has been disgraceful.     Rather than engaging with the very real     concerns she’s raised, issues like     officiating consistency, expansion     planning, and league operations, the     league has chosen to enforce what is     essentially a financial gag order.

That’s what makes Cunningham’s case so     alarming. It shines a light on a     disturbing reality. The WNBA has created     an environment where players are too     afraid to speak truthfully about their     own league because honesty comes with     immediate and costly consequences.     Cunningham tweeted about getting fined,     basically saying that she thinks it’s     laughable and that the league probably     has bigger issues they should be     focusing on. Now, WNBA officiating has     faced major scrutiny all season long     from some of the league’s biggest stars     and coaches. You can find a ton of     articles about it online where they’re     all calling for more consistency. One of     the more quotable examples came from     Angel Ree after the Chicago Sky lost to     the Minnesota Links on July 6. Ree said     that the officiating has to be fixed.     She said, “I don’t give a you know what     if I get fined because that stuff is     cheap and I’m tired of this stuff.” You     get the point. Commissioner Kathy     Angleberg addressed the officiating     ahead of the All-Star game last weekend.     She said that it is something that the     league is continuing to work on and that     they are on it. Angelbert mentioned that     Cunningham’s willingness to take fine     after fine just to keep telling her fans     the truth has revealed a system more     focused on silencing disscent than     addressing legitimate concerns. “You     finding me back/doll 500 isn’t going to     stop me. Then I’ll get fined for that     and fined for this and the fines will     just keep coming,” Cunningham said on     her podcast, making it clear she fully     understands the league’s tactics.     This is not a player who wandered into     controversy by accident.

This is an athlete making a deliberate,     conscious choice, valuing honesty and     transparency over the comfort of staying     quiet and protecting her wallet. The     response from fans to the WNBA’s     treatment of Cunningham speaks volumes     about the state of the league and what     people truly crave in professional     sports. Honesty.     Social media lit up almost instantly     with posts like asterisk, “This league     is so messed up. I hate the WNBA     sometimes.     Sophie, keep calling out their nonsense.     Asterisk comments like these flooded     timelines as word of her latest fine     spread. What’s clear is that fans aren’t     just standing behind Cunningham. They’re     beginning to turn against the league     itself, which they increasingly view as     dishonest, insecure, and more concerned     with silencing truth than fixing real     problems.     You should happily pay those fines. I     think they are only fine like $200 or     something. It’s something crazy like     Sophie Cunningham is a making millions     this year.     Players don’t get fined for speaking on     one another but every single player in     the history of pro basketball is     criticized officially fine for it. Um     no she keeps doing the same thing     getting fined for it.     She literally said Paige is a good     whistle.     That is what she said.     She said Paige. Oh the Paige fans. My     god. Paige fans are nut jobs.     Let’s take a moment to break down just     how short-sighted the WNBA’s approach     looks from a business standpoint.     Sophie Cunningham has quickly become one     of the most charismatic and engaging     personalities in women’s basketball.     She’s cultivated a massive social media     following, built a strong connection     with fans, and created content that     actually drives engagement, something     the league has struggled to achieve on     its own. Her podcast has turned into     must- listen material for WNBA     supporters hungry for authentic,     unfiltered perspectives from inside the     game. And yet, instead of embracing her     as a marketing gold mine, the WNBA has     chosen to treat her like a liability.     The contrast with other professional     leagues couldn’t be clearer. In the NBA,     when players criticize officiating, they     might be fined, but the penalties are     proportional to their multi-million     dollar salaries. and typically only come     after comments that are genuinely     inflammatory.

In the WNBA, by comparison, players like     Cunningham are being slapped with fines     in the hundreds or thousands of dollars     for remarks so tame they wouldn’t even     raise eyebrows in another league. But     here’s the most troubling piece of this     entire saga. It’s no longer just about     Cunningham’s individual fines. It’s     about the culture the league is     creating. By financially punishing     players for harmless observations, the     WNBA has fostered an environment of fear     around honest discourse.     Multiple insiders have already confirmed     that Cunningham isn’t alone. Other     players share her frustrations about     officiating and league operations.     The difference?     They’re too afraid to speak up because     they’ve seen what happens when someone     dares to tell the truth.     She literally, when I tell you y’all, I     literally feel like they are just coming     for her because I feel like she should     be able to say what she wants to say on     her podcast. But that’s just me. That’s     just how I feel. Then they came and uh     then it came an earlier $500 penalty, I     guess, for a Tik Tok video. She was     mocking the referees and lip singing.     That was funny. So now I got a question     for y’all. Do you think that she should     be able to say what she want on her own     podcast or do you feel like, you know,     she should just shut it down and, you     know, stop bothering them? We’ll do this     and that.     The truth is, Cunningham’s fans now have     options that didn’t exist before she     launched her podcast. They’ve already     shown they’ll follow her for one reason,     authentic content and honest commentary     about the league they care about. The     question isn’t whether her supporters     will stick by her if the fines keep     coming. They will. The real question is     whether the WNBA can withstand the     reputational damage it keeps inflicting     on itself by trying to silence its most     genuine voice. Cunningham’s willingness     to take on financial penalties just to     speak openly has given fans something     they didn’t even know they were missing.     a player who refuses to be bullied by     the league office. But her treatment has     also exposed just how broken the system     has become. When the league’s first     instinct is to punish rather than     listen. When fans cheer a player more     for her willingness to call out     hypocrisy than for her actual play on     the court.     When social media erupts in support of     someone enduring fines instead of     celebrating league milestones.     When authenticity becomes a liability     instead of an asset.

At that point, it’s clear the WNBA has     completely lost the plot.     The amount of traction that that episode     was getting, folks were saying that she     could pay that off just from her YouTube     monetization. And so this is just     interesting because I’ve said before     that I really wish the WNBA as well as     other sports leagues would lean in to     the athlete own media platforms because     fans are a lot more interested in     hearing the perspective of people who     actually play the sport than just     spectators and people on the outside.     So, the fact that they are penalizing     her for showcasing her frustrations,     even though tons of players have done     this, you know, postgame interviews or     just talked about it on the internet in     general is very interesting. The WNBA     has managed to turn what should have     been a celebration of player     authenticity into a cautionary tale of     organizational overreach.     Sophie Cunningham Show Me Something     podcast should have been welcomed as the     exact type of content that strengthens     fan loyalty and offers unique insights     from someone living the league     experience every day. Instead, we’re     nearing a tipping point where the     league’s attempts to silence her could     spectacularly backfire.     Since her podcast launched, the pattern     of finds has only escalated with every     episode sparking new anxiety in the     League office about what she might     reveal next.     Rather than engaging with her concerns,     the WNBA has responded with tone-deaf     punishments, prioritizing message     control over meaningful dialogue. What     this saga really highlights is the     league’s complete inability to embrace     authentic player voices.     The WNBA is sitting on a gold mine of     organic playerdriven content, stories,     and perspectives that resonate more     powerfully with fans than any polished     marketing campaign.     And yet, instead of leveraging that     authenticity, the league has chosen to     weaponize fines, effectively turning     honesty into a financial liability.     It’s a short-sighted strategy that     threatens to alienate both players and     fans alike.     So, the entire league can talk     about Caitlyn, but Sophie can’t um talk     at the page. No. And that’s the     funniest thing is that Angel Reese can     say some people have a special whistle     about Kaitlyn Clark um in a public press     conference and it’s it’s very it’s     selective finding. That’s the problem.     Like Kelsey Plum has not been fined this     year as Kelsey Plum has literally just     stopped entire press conferences     complain about the referees. Apparently     Stephanie White didn’t get fined when     Marina Mayberry knocked Caitlyn on her     ass and then Sophie Cunningham took down     JC Shel. Apparently Stephanie White     didn’t get and Azian did not get fined     for both of them going mad at referee.     Cunningham has remained remarkably     composed throughout this entire ordeal,     continuing to offer thoughtful, measured     commentary, even as she’s fined again     and again for voicing basic     observations.     But at some point, no player should be     expected to shoulder endless financial     punishment simply for telling fans what     they themselves are seeing and     experiencing.

The writing is already on the wall.     Everyone can see it except for WNBA     leadership.     Fans have openly rallied behind     Cunningham’s right to speak freely.     Media voices are questioning the     league’s priorities, and players are     quietly watching to see whether honest     discourse is even possible in this     environment. Yet, the WNBA persists,     acting as though silencing its most     authentic voice somehow benefits the     brand. In reality, Sophie Cunningham has     given fans something they didn’t even     realize they were missing. A player     willing to tell the truth regardless of     the financial consequences.     But even the most committed truth teller     can’t repair systemic flaws alone. She     can’t single-handedly change a culture     that treats honesty as a threat rather     than an asset. She can’t force a league     to embrace transparency when its     leadership seems determined to tighten     its grip on every narrative instead of     facing real issues head-on. Only is     going to push her even more to share her     perspectives and share her point of     view.

And that’s going to get her some     partnerships. That’s going to get her     business opportunities because again,     nobody really knows what these players     go through unless you’re in their     position. Unless you’re in that     position. For those who doesn’t who     don’t know, she plays for the Indiana     Fever. But I love that she is voicing     her concerns. I think the only way for     change to happen is for you to vocalize     what needs to be changed and to have it     at the forefront. And she just may be     the person to help further push these     types of conversations ahead. So,     listen, let’s all support Sophia. Watch     the first episode. Um, and I’m excited     to see what else she’s talking about     because this     the tragic irony is that the WNBA had in     Sophie Cunningham’s podcast exactly what     they claim to be searching for,     an authentic player voice, content that     naturally engages fans, and honest     commentary that sparks meaningful     discussion about the league itself.     What we’re seeing in Cunningham’s     treatment goes far beyond disciplinary     action. It’s a test of what the WNBA     truly values.     Does the organization want to be known     for encouraging authenticity or for     silencing it? The decision they’re     making could not be clearer, and fans     are paying attention, taking note of the     league’s real priorities and questioning     whether those priorities align with the     growth and credibility women’s     basketball deserves.