A TikTok post has landed former Missouri women’s basketball star and current Indiana Fever starter Sophie Cunningham with a fine.
On her X account Wednesday, Cunningham wrote that she was fined $500 by the WNBA for one of her posts to the popular social media platform that appeared critical of “some refs.”
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In the video, Cunningham is lip-syncing to the portion of pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Manchild.” A text overlay on the post says “@ some refs,” while Cunningham mouths the portion of the song with the lyrics, “Stupid? Or is it slow? Maybe it’s useless.”
“I got fined $500 for this TikTok,” Cunningham wrote to X. “(I don’t know) why this is funny to me. … You got it bud! (Because) there’s not more important things to be worried about with our league right now.”
She then shared a reply to her original post that said, “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.”
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WNBA officiating has been a hot-button issue in recent weeks and months. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, according to the IndyStar, has been critical of officiating this season. Ahead of the All-Star break, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said they are looking at ways to improve officiating.
Cunningham is playing in her first season with the Fever after an offseason trade with the Phoenix Mercury.
May 28, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call by the referee in the second half against the Washington Mystics at Entertainment & Sports Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images
The Mizzou alum and Columbia local has averaged 7.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season. She is shooting 40% from 3-point range and has scored double-digit points in each of Indiana’s past five games.
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Earlier this year, Cunningham was announced as a member of Missouri Athletics’ 2025 Hall of Fame Class. The Rock Bridge High grad is the all-time leading scorer for Mizzou women’s basketball with 2,187 points. The Tigers have not been to the NCAA Tournament since Cunningham graduated in 2019.
Indiana and Cunningham next face the Las Vegas Aces at 6 p.m. CDT Thursday in Indianapolis.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou alum Sophie Cunningham says she was fined by WNBA for TikTok
