Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham expressed her dissatisfaction and disappointment towards the WNBA leadership, particularly with league commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
In a recent interview, Fever’s Sopohie CUninnghma sounded the alarm of a potential lockout, as she cited problems in how the women’s league has been managed by its current leadership.
“There’s a potential lockout,” Cunningham said. “I promise you we aren’t going to play until they give us what we deserve. That’s kinda where it’s headed unfortunately, which would be the dumbest basketball decision, business-wise ever, considering the momentum the W has.”
Sophie Cunningham: “There’s a potential lockout. I promise you we aren’t going to play until they give us what we deserve. That’s kinda where it’s headed unfortunately, which would be the dumbest basketball decision, business-wise ever, considering the momentum the W has.”
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) October 2, 2025
Minnesota Lynx forward and WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier publicly blasted league leadership, accusing commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA of contempt for the product and poor decision-making, a tirade that has widened the divide between players and the league with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire in a month.
Collier’s four-minute press appearance attacked officiating, player safety and the league’s direction, and came after a playoff incident in which she was injured following an uncalled foul and subsequently ejected for protesting, a sequence that intensified player frustration.
The friction is rooted in a rapid rise in popularity led by stars such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, which has driven record attendance and audience growth but has not translated into players’ pay, with the WNBA currently allocating roughly 9 percent of revenue to players compared with the NBA’s 50 percent split, according to Collier’s criticism of the economic terms.
Sophie Cuningham Admits She is “Just Tired of Our League”
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham told reporters she is “just tired of our league” during an end-of-season news conference, sharply criticizing WNBA leadership and calling for accountability from “top to bottom.”
“I’m just tired of our league,” Cunningham said, via ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “Our leadership from top to bottom needs to be held accountable. I think there are a lot of people in position of power in the WNBA who, they might be really great business people, but they don’t know s*** about basketball.”
Cunningham singled out commissioner Cathy Engelbert, saying the commissioner “always makes it about her” and is failing both the league and its players, a rebuke that amplified recent player unrest over officiating, player safety, and how the league values its stars.
For the 2025 season, Sophie Cunningham averaged 8.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. She shot at 46.9% from the field and 43.2% from the three-point line.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
