Sophie Cunningham’s new podcast has become her platform to speak her mind freely, irrespective of the ‘minor’ consequences (as she describes them) she may have to face. She has been fined for criticizing officials twice before (once on her podcast and once in a TikTok video), but that did not stop her from doing it again.
In the latest episode of her podcast, just one day after the Indiana Fever faced the Dallas Wings, Cunningham called out the officials for having a bias towards Paige Bueckers in their officiating during the game.
“I love Paige to death, do not get me wrong… I think she’s a hell of a player, and I would love to play with her one day. But those refs were giving her every freaking whistle last night.”
“Like you literally couldn’t touch her. Couldn’t touch her. And that sh** is so annoying to me. And if you’re gonna do that, then give it to our guards [as well]. Like, I just hate the inconsistency.”
“We know she’s a good rookie and like she’s going to get some whistles, but like to get the treatment she got last night was crazy… crazy.”
“She’s going to be one of those players who, like she’s already going to be a GOAT. Like she’s going to be a Hall of Famer. Everyone knows that she’s a freaking hell of a player, but like getting some of those whistles already. Oh my! I couldn’t.”
The Wings ended up winning the game 81-80 in a nailbiter. Paige Bueckers finished the game with 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Cunningham finished the game with 14 points, three assists, and two rebounds.
The Fever’s superstar, Caitlin Clark, missed the game due to a groin injury that even sidelined her from the All-Star weekend. Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 24 points, while Maddy Siegrest led the Wings’ scorers with 22 points.
Controversial officiating has been a prominent issue in the WNBA for the past few years. And legends like Diana Taurasi and even LeBron James have voiced their concerns over it in the past.
But it’s not like the same problem does not exist in the NBA. Players deem Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a free-throw merchant due to the number of calls he gets from the officials. There will always be a possibility of error in the scope of human judgment, and that is a risk that comes with every sport in the world, not just basketball.
Until we come up with an artificial intelligence mechanism that removes the personal bias from the officiating, it is a risk that every athlete in the world will have to accept. And until the league intervenes, there’s not much the players can do here.
