Sophie Cunningham Calls Out Terry Rozier Salary Detail Amid NBA Betting Scandal

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham seems aghast about one salary-related detail to Terry Rozier's ongoing betting scandal.
Sep 14, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call against the Atlanta Dream in the fourth quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a call against the Atlanta Dream in the fourth quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Perhaps the biggest story in the sports world over the past couple of days is that former NBA coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested as part of investigations related to illegal sports betting.

For Rozier, this entailed allegedly participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using his private insider NBA information, while Billups was charged relating to his alleged involvement in rigging underground poker games. Both Rozier and Billups' involvement was reportedly backed by the Mafia.

According to an October 24 article from the Associated Press, Rozier was arrested, "for his alleged role in a scheme in which prosecutors say he conspired with friends to help them win bets they made based on his performance in a March 2023 game when he was with the Charlotte Hornets."

The charge relates to Rozier playing a little over nine minutes in a March 23, 2023, game before removing himself and not returning because of an apparent injury. The charge is that before the game, Rozier allegedly told his childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would pretend to be hurt so that Lester and other conspirators could bet the under for his single-game statistics, which would hit if Rozier barely played.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket on March 23, 2025
Mar 31, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham Has Stunned Reaction to Terry Rozier Salary News Amid Scandal

On October 25, Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports published an article saying that while Rozier (who was released on a $6 million bond on Thursday) would still be paid his entire $26.6 million salary while the NBA determines if he broke league rules.

The stark contrast between NBA and WNBA salaries is a controversial topic right now, given the WNBA's ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations with the league office. And this news about Rozier's salary seems to have set Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham off, as she made an X post in response to this news about Rozier's salary security that read, "no way. please tell me this is fake…"

Cunningham's shocked reaction has gone viral, with it amassing over 250,000 views in less than three hours.

It's worth noting that if the NBA does declare that Rozier broke league rules, then his salary would be terminated immediately. But one would imagine that the NBA's investigation is going to take time, which would mean more money in Rozier's pocket.

Given that Rozier's still getting payment while on leave is surely a byproduct of the NBA's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, perhaps this is something Cunningham and the WNBA players will want to consider for their ongoing negotiations.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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