Even without taking the court during All-Star weekend, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made her voice heard in support of the WNBA players’ push for better pay.
On Saturday, Cunningham reacted to a WNBPA Instagram post about the ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) talks with just one emphatic word:
“PERIOD,” she wrote.
It was a simple but powerful show of unity as players continue to call for a bigger slice of the league’s growing pie. Just before the All-Star Game tipped off, team captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier led their squads in black warm-up shirts that read:
“Pay Us What You Owe Us.”
With the current CBA set to expire in October, tensions are rising. The players’ union and the league are still miles apart on key issues, especially around salaries, revenue sharing, and benefits. A lockout now looms as a real possibility.
The demand for better pay comes as the WNBA is hitting historic highs. Viewership is up 23%, attendance is surging, merchandise is flying off shelves, and a $2.2 billion media rights deal is on deck starting in 2026.
According to reports, the WNBPA — led by veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum — is pushing for a structure that better reflects the league’s current momentum. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert described the latest round of talks as “constructive,” though some players reportedly walked away feeling it was a “wasted opportunity.”
“Stupid, or is it slow?”: Sophie Cunningham takes a jab at WNBA referees
Sophie Cunningham also made headlines for a different reason this weekend: calling out WNBA referees. She posted a light-hearted TikTok, lip-syncing to the lyrics:
“Stupid, or is it slow? Maybe it’s useless.”
She clarified in the caption:
“I’m just trollin” and tagged it “@ some refs.”
While it may have been playful, Cunningham’s jab echoes what many players have been saying lately.
Commissioner Engelbert addressed the officiating concerns on Saturday:
“We hear the concerns, we take that input. Every play is reviewed… there’s an independent evaluation of officials. There are ramifications. It’s something we need to continue to work on.”
Cunningham isn’t alone. Angel Reese also aired her frustrations recently, urging the league to “do better” on X (formerly Twitter).
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
