Fever Star Fined $500 Days After Sparks' Kelsey Plum Rips WNBA Officiating

The WNBA fined Indiana's star guard $500 for speaking against the league's refs.
Jun 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and guard Caitlin Clark (22) react from the bench during the first half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Jun 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and guard Caitlin Clark (22) react from the bench during the first half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Prior to last weekend's 2025 WNBA All-Star events, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham posted a TikTok calling out the league's officiating — captioned, "@ some refs."

Read more: Sparks' Cameron Brink Reacts to WNBA All-Star Snubs

Then, on Wednesday, Cunningham took to social media once more — announcing in a X post that the WNBA fined her $500 for the video.

"I got fined $500 for this TikTok," she wrote. "idk why this is funny to me… like ok you got it bud! Cause there’s not more important things to be worried about with our league right now."

It came during a time in which a plethora of WNBA players, Cunningham included, have been vocal in speaking out against recent league officiating.

Read more: Sparks’ Kelsey Plum Makes Major Announcement

Before this year's All-Star Game, Los Angeles Sparks' star guard Kelsey Plum — named an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year — delivered a similar statement.

At WNBA All-Star media availability on Friday morning, Plum was brutally honest when speaking about recent WNBA officiating — and clear issues with the league's refs, per Robin Lundberg.

Read more: Candace Parker's Sparks' Jersey Officially Retired in Heartfelt Ceremony

"I think people are getting frustrated at the consistency," Plum said. "So it's a ticky-tack [foul] here, then someone gets absolutely assaulted over here — and like, where is the line? And when did we call it? Why did we call it?

"I also think, too, a lot of teams specifically play me very physical, which I get," she continued. "But a foul is a foul — a foul in the first quarter is a foul in the fourth quarter ... The officiating across the board, people have been frustrated with."

More Sparks news:

A'ja Wilson Speaks Out on Losing Kelsey Plum to Sparks

Sparks' Kelsey Plum Reacts to Georgia Amoore's ACL Injury

International Legend Reveals Reason For Rejoining LA

Sparks Waive Two Players Ahead of 2025 Season

Sparks’ Cameron Brink Revisits Feeling After Tearing ACL

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Sparks, visit Los Angeles Sparks on SI.


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Ben Geffner
BEN GEFFNER

Ben Geffner is an award-winning sports journalist and current student at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism. A greater Los Angeles native now with countless years of extensive and dedicated experience — including beat reporting, writing, play-by-play broadcast, television anchoring, podcasting and video production — Ben remains eager to contribute as credentialed media covering the LA Sparks.

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