Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has jokingly set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the fines the WNBA gave her throughout the season.
Cunningham received multiple fines throughout the season – including during an infamous altercation with Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon.
But she also got fined for her comments against officials – not only on her social media, but on her podcast ‘Show Me Something’.
So, on Thursday, Cunningham set up a donation drive on the popular site to help pay for the fines… or so it seemed.
‘This is more of a joke than anything,’ Cunningham captioned the fundraiser. ‘For fines only or to a charity or for a yacht idk…’
Initially set with a goal of $1million, Cunningham then reduced it down to $26,000 before providing a further update.
Sophie Cunningham set up a GoFundMe to ‘help’ pay for her fines to the WNBA
Cunningham, who is close with Caitlin Clark, then clarified she’d donate the funds to charity
‘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,’ she said.
At the time of publication, over $3,000 had been raised for Cunningham’s fundraiser.
Throughout this WNBA season, the quality of officiating had been constantly criticized by pundits, players, and coaches.
It’s what landed a fine for Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve – who ran onto the court to berate a referee before being nearly dragged off the court after an injury to Napheesa Collier.
After the Lynx season ended, Collier – who is vice president of the player’s union – delivered a scathing critique of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
‘We have the best league in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But we have the worst leadership in the world,’ the five-time All-Star said.
‘Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders.’
Among the criticisms she laid out – including an alleged comment Engelbert made saying Caitlin Clark ‘should be grateful’ for being able to play in the WNBA – Collier also slammed the officials.
Days ago, star Napheesa Collier launched a blistering attack against the WNBA commissioner
Collier accused Cathy Engelbert (above) of being ‘negligent’ among other shocking claims
The former UConn college national champion claimed on Tuesday that Engelbert said: ‘only the losers complain about the refs.’
‘The league has a buzzword that they’ve rolled out as talking points for the CBA as to why they can’t pay the players what we’re worth,’ Collier said.
‘That word is sustainability. But what’s truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games. Fans see it every night. Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pre-game and post-game media.
‘Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence.’
In a statement, Engelbert responded to Collier’s remarks: ‘I have the utmost respect for Napheesa Collier and for all the players in the WNBA. Together we have all worked tirelessly to transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game.
‘I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.’
Collier says she expects to be fined for her actions. Since her statement, calls for Engelbert to resign have grown – coming from fans, media, and players themselves.
