Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been among the most outspoken WNBA players to address the recent controversy surrounding Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. During her latest podcast episode, Cunningham continued to speak out, calling out the league boss for acting out of self-interest. 

Her comments struck a nerve not only because of their ferocity but because they echoed the sentiments of many across the league. Several players, including high-profile stars like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Kelsey Plum, have recently voiced similar frustrations.

From inconsistent game coverage and inequitable marketing to chronic underinvestment in player facilities, the grievances have piled up. Cunningham’s willingness to say out loud what many players have been whispering privately made her the unexpected face of a league-wide reckoning.

The timing of her remarks couldn’t have been more charged. The WNBA is in the midst of a crucial period of expansion and media negotiation, with new teams and sponsors on the horizon.

Engelbert, appointed commissioner in 2019, has been celebrated in some circles for increasing league visibility and landing major broadcast deals. But internally, players claim those advances have come at their expense. “It’s all optics,” Cunningham later elaborated in a podcast appearance.

“You can’t post empowerment slogans and then make us fly commercial across three time zones to play back-to-back games. You can’t talk about growing the game when you’re cutting corners on the athletes who make the game possible.”

What began as a single player’s outburst quickly snowballed into a full-fledged movement. Within hours of her remarks going viral, players from at least six other teams posted solidarity messages under the hashtag #PlayersOverPR, signaling a coordinated show of dissent.

The union representing WNBA athletes, the WNBPA, released a measured but unmistakably critical statement urging league officials to “engage in meaningful dialogue” rather than “defensive spin.” Behind the scenes, insiders report that locker rooms have been buzzing with discussions about potential collective action, including boycotts of certain league-sponsored events if conditions do not improve.

Both on social media and during her exit interview on Wednesday, Cunningham spoke at length about her issues with Engelbert and league officiating.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) warms up before the start of the game against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena.  (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

“I’m just tired of our league. They need to step up and be better. Our leadership from top to bottom needs to be held accountable. I think there are a lot of people in positions of power in the WNBA, who they might be really great business people, but they don’t know s— about basketball. And that’s gotta change.”

In the latest episode of her podcast, “Show Me Something,” Cunningham expanded on her thoughts amid the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.

“At the end of the day, everyone’s fed up – fed up with how the league is treating us.

“They should be ashamed of themselves for what they’re giving back to us because it’s nothing. It is nothing. They’re not listening. The thing is, they’re not even engaging with us. It is bad.”

Cunningham, whose first season with the Fever was cut short due to injury, again addressed Engelbert. She said Engelbert lacked the qualities of a “great leader,” and said that recent comments from the commissioner were out of self-interest.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) plays against the Phoenix Mercury during a WNBA game at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, on Aug. 7, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

“Great leaders want to see other people be more successful than them, they want to make sure that they’re cared for,” Cunningham said. “And I get it, she’s the business side of it. Like, I get it. But you can be respectful and treat your product – the product of why people are paying attention, why people are buying certain jerseys – treat your product with respect.

“Like, be a great leader. She’s not. She’s not in any sense. The disrespect is just crazy to me.”

Cunningham’s decision to go public was not without risk. Known for her fiery competitiveness and outspoken nature, she has often walked the line between passion and provocation. But those close to her say this latest eruption came from a place of genuine frustration. “Sophie loves this league,” said a teammate who requested anonymity. “She’s not trying to tear it down—she’s trying to wake it up. We’ve been patient for years. At some point, someone has to say enough.” For her part, Cunningham has doubled down, dismissing suggestions that she should apologize or walk back her words. “I said what I said,” she told reporters the next day. “If that makes people uncomfortable, maybe that’s the point.”

Engelbert, for her part, has responded cautiously. In a statement released by the league office, she acknowledged that “player feedback is vital” and emphasized that the WNBA “continues to work tirelessly toward improving player experience.” However, the tone struck many as perfunctory, and critics were quick to pounce on what they saw as yet another empty reassurance. Former players like Candace Parker and Sue Bird chimed in on social media, hinting that the league’s leadership still hasn’t grasped the depth of player dissatisfaction. “This isn’t about one comment,” Bird tweeted. “It’s about years of being told to wait.”

Beyond the sound bites and social media firestorms lies a deeper tension about what the WNBA represents in 2025. The league has grown rapidly in visibility, buoyed by rising stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Alyssa Thomas, as well as a surge in fan engagement and record-breaking TV ratings. Yet, the players argue that the infrastructure supporting that growth has lagged behind. Despite the league’s success, teams continue to face logistical nightmares—commercial flights, subpar training facilities, and uneven access to medical and recovery resources. The discrepancy between the league’s polished image and the players’ daily reality has created what Cunningham called “a credibility gap.”

“I think this just such a pivotal point in the WNBA because there’s so many eyes on us, there’s so many new fans – there’s millions of millions, I should say, of new fans – and at the end of the day she’s worried about her. In all of her statements it’s like, ‘Well, I got us here and I –,’ Cathy no one cares. Literally, no one cares.”

Engelbert addressed the media Friday, and was asked about comments Napheesa Collier alleged she made about star player Caitlin Clark. Engelbert denied the accusations.

Cathy Engelbert talks to the media during the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 15, 2024, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. (Melanie Fidler/NBAE via Getty Images)

“Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game. She’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game,” she said.

“There’s a lot of inaccuracy out there through social media and all this reporting,” she later added. “A lot of reporting, a lot of inaccuracy about what I say, what I didn’t say.”

The players’ association and the WNBA agreed to an eight-year agreement in 2020, but last year the WNBPA voted to opt out of the agreement early. The current agreement is set to expire Oct. 31.

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham has never been one to mince words, and this week, she ignited one of the most explosive controversies in recent WNBA memory. In a fiery social media rant and a subsequent press conference, Cunningham went on the offensive against WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, accusing the league’s leadership of being “out of touch,” “disconnected,” and “embarrassingly slow” in handling the growing unrest among players. Her statement—punctuated by the now-viral line, “Cathy, no one cares!”—has lit up the basketball world, sparking a broader conversation about player treatment, league priorities, and what many are calling a “boiling point” moment for the WNBA.

Cunningham’s outburst came in the wake of mounting frustrations across the league over issues ranging from scheduling chaos to poor travel conditions and what players have described as “performative” support from league executives. During a postgame interview following the Mercury’s narrow loss to the Dallas Wings, she was asked about the growing player dissent. Instead of sidestepping the topic, Cunningham unloaded. “I’m tired of it,” she said bluntly. “Every year, we hear the same speeches, the same promises, the same ‘we’re working on it’ lines. But guess what? Nothing changes. Cathy, no one cares. Players are exhausted, and the fans see through it.”

Media analysts have noted that Cunningham’s outburst could mark a turning point. “What Sophie did is break the decorum,” said sports journalist Rachel Nichols. “The WNBA has long prided itself on unity and professionalism, but professionalism doesn’t mean silence. She articulated what many in the locker rooms have been feeling for a long time—that leadership has grown complacent while expecting players to smile through the grind.” Some see parallels to the NBA’s player empowerment movement of the 2010s, which reshaped that league’s power dynamics and forced executives to prioritize player voices.

Public reaction has been equally divided. Fans flooded Cunningham’s social media accounts with messages of support, hailing her as “the truth-teller the league needed.” Others accused her of being disrespectful and undermining the league’s progress. Sports talk shows debated whether her approach—calling out the commissioner by name—was a courageous act of accountability or an unnecessary escalation. Yet even critics admit that her comments have forced a long-overdue conversation. “Whether you agree with her tone or not,” said ESPN analyst Monica McNutt, “you can’t deny she’s made the league listen.”

As of this week, the standoff shows no signs of cooling. Reports suggest that the WNBPA is seeking an emergency meeting with Engelbert to address player grievances directly. Meanwhile, Cunningham has continued to use her platform to keep the issue in the spotlight. “We’re not backing down,” she declared in an Instagram Live session. “If the league wants to grow, it has to start respecting the people who make it worth watching.” Her words were met with a flood of heart emojis and “preach!” comments from fans and fellow players alike.

Whether this moment leads to lasting change or fizzles out as another flashpoint remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Sophie Cunningham has thrown down the gauntlet, and the league can no longer afford to ignore it. Her blunt message—“Cathy, no one cares”—may have been harsh, but it encapsulates the frustration of athletes who feel unseen and unheard in the very league they helped build. For the WNBA, which stands at a crossroads between expansion and integrity, the coming weeks could define not just its leadership’s legacy but its future as a truly player-centered league.