Why Sophie Cunningham jokingly started a GoFundMe

Autumn Hawkins

Why Sophie Cunningham jokingly started a GoFundMe image

© David Butler II

Sophie Cunningham has jokes.

The Indiana Fever star jokingly launched a GoFundMe to help her pay for her WNBA fines. On her X account, she asked her followers to donate so she could cover some of the fines she received while playing. She is currently recovering from a right MCL tear she suffered in back in August.

“I could use your help with my fundraiser on GoFundMe,” she wrote on Oct. 2.“Please share, support, or donate—every small action counts.”

The Fever star shared the link where she was originally asking fans for $10 million to cover the fees, but if you click the link, Cunningham revealed that it was just a joke.

"This is more of a joke than anything, she wrote in the GoFundMe page's description. For fines only or to charity or for a yacht idk…."

She even added an update section to the description, confirming that the money raised will be going to charity.

"A yacht would be nice, but whatever we raise here will be going directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities," she added. "I’ll take care of my own fines. Y'all are the best."

She later had to confirm once again that she was joking and set the goal for $26,000 for charity. 

“This is a joke,” she wrote. “Relax you clowns… I set a goal for 10 million. There’s just no way you can actually think I’m actually serious.”

What did the WNBA fine Sophie Cunningham for?

Cunningham has been fined several times for comments she has made regarding WNBA referees. 

On the debut episode of her "Show Me Something" podcast, she shared with her listeners that the calls are "just so inconsistent."

“If I was a ref, I know I would mess up all the time," Cunningham said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "Like, I’m not saying that your job is easy, but when it is a simple call right in front of your face multiple times, what are you doing? What are you doing? … They’re just so inconsistent, like that’s one thing. If you’re on the other team, and you’re going to be fouling the **** out of me, cool. But let me do it to you… I think players across the league, and new fans across the country are like, what is going on with the refs? And I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ And you fining me $500 is not going to do ****."

She was fined $1,500 for those comments. 

She also was fined $500 for making a TikTok in July referring to the refs as "Stupid. Or is it, slow? Or maybe, useless?" from Sabrina Carpenter's song "Manchild." On the video, she added the text, "@ some refs."

In June, she received a flagrant 2 foul on Sun guard Jacy Sheldon, a  $400 fine, and an undisclosed penalty for her role in the shoving match. Cunningham, Sheldon, and another player were ejected from the game following the scuffle.  

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Autumn Hawkins

Autumn Hawkins is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A New Jersey native, she got her start in media working in broadcast for WPRI, FOX Entertainment and the CW Providence as an entertainment producer and coordinator. She later held the role of National R&B and Hip-Hop editor for Beasley Media. More of Autumn's work can be found across OK! Magazine, Compulsive Magazine, Lowkey R&B and on-air with Beyond The Record.