Fever’s Sophie Cunningham Announces WNBA’s Unexpected Punishment Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 7:58 PM ET

The Indiana Fever's season ended when the Las Vegas Aces beat them 107-98 in Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals on Sept. 30, but their storylines never stop. Veteran guard Sophie Cunningham, for example, continues to supply them with her comments on social media and her "Show Me Something" podcast.

Before the Aces game, the 29-year-old called WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert "delusional" in an Instagram comment for allegedly downplaying Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's level of stardom. She also said "People only know Cathy because of [Clark]."

Hours before Cunningham's comment, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier recounted to reporters a prior conversation she had with Engelbert. The five-time All-Star revealed that the commissioner told her "[Clark] should be grateful" for the WNBA's platform despite being the most popular star in women's basketball history, via ESPN's Malika Andrews.

Cunningham announced a surprising decision that the WNBA made regarding her comment via her podcast on Tuesday.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8)Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cunningham wasn't fined for the comment despite previously being fined for public statements. The league charged the Missouri alum $500 for criticizing referees in a July TikTok and $1,500 in August for doing so again on the debut episode of her podcast, via ESPN.

Cunningham isn't the only person the WNBA has fined for speaking her mind. In fact, Collier called out the league during her statement for punishing players and coaches for practicing free speech instead of making necessary changes and said she expected to be fined after the presser. Cunningham also jokingly said that she'd start a GoFundMe for Clark after the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader was fined $200 for criticizing officiating on social media in September.

Potential WNBA Lockout Looms as Drama Continues

Engelbert responded to Collier with a public statement and a press conference (via ESPN's YouTube channel), but the two haven't conversed since. Collier said on Monday that she "has nothing left to say" to the commisioner, via Axios' Maxwell Millington.

"For her to start her speech saying she has the utmost respect for me ... and then to turn around and call me a liar three minutes later ... I think it just speaks to that lack of accountability," she said.

Collier's sentiments reflect how the majority of WNBA players view Engelbert, evidenced by their public support of her statement, via The New York Post. Meanwhile, the WNBA Player's Association and the league have until Oct. 31 to either agree on a new collective bargaining agreement or extend the deadline. If neither of those things happen, there will be a lockout.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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