Sophie Cunningham Makes Request to WNBA Over Money Issue

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Sophie Cunningham Makes Request to WNBA Over Money Issue

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Oct 16, 2026 4:48 PM ET

Sophie Cunningham saw her second season with the Indiana Fever come to an end in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs, falling to MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces 2-1 after a Game 3 loss. Now, Cunningham enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, with her one-year, $665,000 contract with the Fever coming to an end.

Cunningham has become a key piece for coach Stephanie White’s rotation over the last two seasons, becoming one of the better bench players in the league. In 2026, the former Phoenix Mercury guard averaged 7.9 points on 46.0% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.2 minutes per game, coming off the bench in all but three games.

But despite her recent success, Cunningham has also had her fair share of issues with the WNBA officials. The Fever guard has been fined numerous times for commenting on the referees during her podcast, and she even called out the officials for not calling a technical from the Atlanta Dream’s recent win over the New York Liberty in the semifinals.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call from the referee in Game 2 against the Las Vegas Aces.USA TODAY Network

But despite her apparent problems with the officials, Cunningham knows how important they are to the game of basketball. In a recent episode of “No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen,” Cunningham noted that the officials are underpaid by the WNBA, calling for the league to increase their salaries.

“That’s my thing right there is like, I will always have their backs,” Cunningham said of the WNBA officials. “They don’t get paid enough. If we pay them more, their investment level will be a lot higher. Hopefully that means their skill level will be higher. Maybe they’ll be more rested, maybe they’ll not have to work so many games in the offseason. Maybe they will be prepared to just be a W ref.

“Everyone wants the NBA but our league should be a platform where refs also want to get to and stay. We got to put money where our mouth is. Like if we are not happy, they’re part of the product. They’re part of the game and so we need to make sure that they’re taken care of.”

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WNBA referees are paid much less than referees in other sports, earning roughly $2,000 per game. This is compared to $5,000 for an NCAA game and between $3,000 to $6,000 on average for the NBA.

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

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