After the recent Napheesa Collier exit interview bombshell, there has been a lot of attention on the WNBA and its leadership (or lack thereof). But long before Napheesa Collier had made her statements, there was another player who was very vocal about how the league is failing its players. That player was, of course, Caitlin Clark’s ‘protector’, Sophie Cunningham. Even though the WNBA tried to discourage her with numerous fines, Sophie Cunningham is not the one to shy away. However, in her latest podcast, a new twist about these fines has come to light.

After already getting fined three times for things said on her podcast, Sophie Cunningham risked another penalty over an Instagram comment. Responding to reports of Cathy Engelbert’s remarks about Caitlin Clark—“Her response was, ‘[Clark] should be grateful. She makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”’—Cunningham wrote, “People only know Cathy because of C. She’s the most delusional leader our league has seen.” She added, “And it shouldn’t ever be about our commissioner in the first place.”

Now, many thought Cunningham would be fined for these comments. And in a conversation on her Show Me Something podcast, West Wilson raised the same concern. To which Sophie replied, “I mean I’m out for the season, so I don’t think they can fine me anymore,” clarifying the WNBA’s reason behind the decision.

As said earlier, Sophie Cunningham has racked up her fair share of fines this season- two for ripping officials on social media and her Show Me Something podcast, plus another one tied to her run-in with Connecticut Sun’s Jacy Sheldon. That’s why, or so it seemed, she popped up on X with a GoFundMe link, saying it would help cover the penalties she owed the WNBA.

“I could use your help with my fundraiser on GoFundMe,” Cunningham posted. “Please share, support, or donate — every small action counts. Might as well have fun with it, huh?” The Fever guard first posted a link jokingly asking fans to help her raise $10 million to pay off her fines. But once people clicked through, Cunningham made it clear the whole thing was just for laughs. The fundraiser showed a $26,000 goal.

“

This is more of a joke than anything. For fines only or to charity or for a yacht idk…,” she had first written in the description. However, she updated it to, “Update: A yacht would be nice, but whatever we raise here will be going directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities. I’ll take care of my own fines. Y’all are the best.“

Yes, so while after the fines, you might think she’d be a bit more cautious. Well, wrong. Be it the exit interview or the recent podcast episode, Cunningham held back nowhere. Following Napheesa Collier’s example, Sophie also called out the leadership, saying, “Our leadership needs to be held accountable. I think that there are a lot of people in position of power. They might be really great business people, but they don’t know s— about basketball.”

In the podcast, she even said, “

like be a great leader. She’s (Cathy) not. She’s not in any sense, And it’s just the disrespect
is just crazy to me. But honestly, I think this is just such a pivotal point in the WNBA because there’s so many eyes on us, there’s so many new fans, there’s millions of millions, I should say new fans and at the end of the day, she’s worried about her and all of her statements. It’s all like, well, I got us here and I should Cathy. No one cares. Literally, no one cares”. 

Whether it’s a change in leadership or not, the WNBA needs to deal with it as soon as possible. We are already in the final month of the current CBA, and as of now, no agreement seems close. With so much uncertainty, there is a chance that the Indiana Fever’s “Tres Leches” trio might be broken.

Will the Indiana Fever re-sign Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham?

After the Indiana Fever’s season ended heartbreakingly, the question now remains about how the Fever’s roster will look next season. As things stand, they have only three players under contract for next season. Considering all the injury issues, the Indiana Fever’s 2025 WNBA season can be considered a huge success. But can they bring the players back who made it a success?

Well, let’s look at Sophie Cunningham’s scenario first. Bought in through a trade, Sophie Cunningham’s fit with the Indiana Fever was a huge success. Individually, as well, Sophie had her best 3-point shooting season this year. But more important than her shooting was her hustle and attitude on the court. Sure, we all remember the fights. But it was her intense defense that kept her on the floor. As she is set to become an unrestricted free agent, there’s no question that the Indiana Fever would want to bring her back.

Similarly, with Lexie Hull, there is a big case to bring her back. Lexie is set to hit restricted free agency this offseason. As Indiana’s own draft selection and the close bond she has with Caitlin Clark, it seems hard to see her in another jersey. But in the world of professional sports, anything can happen. Lexie herself admitted her love for Indiana while also acknowledging the uncertainties the league faces in the offseason.

Will the Indiana Fever bring back the fan favorite “Tres Leches” trio? Or will the free agency again play a spoilsport? We’ll have to wait and see.

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