Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concerns about a perceived "double standard" in the WNBA regarding disciplinary actions after an incident involving Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson during a first-round playoff game. In the fourth quarter of the Fever's Game 2 victory on Tuesday, Cunningham received a foul for a play against Wilson, following which a fan pointed at Wilson. As Wilson attempted to confront the fan, several Aces players intervened. Despite the situation, Wilson only received a technical foul and no further discipline.
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On her podcast, the No Hesitation Show with Drew Hanlen, Cunningham remarked, "She's like the LeBron James of our league, and so of course they're not going to suspend her... Something should have happened. The two people who came off the bench onto the court, that should have happened. I think there's definitely a double standard."
Cunningham noted that while she disagreed with ejection for Wilson, she felt it would have resulted in significant backlash against the Fever. "We yell from the rooftops that we want equality, that we want to be treated like the men, that we want all this stuff... but if you're asking for all these fans to come, and you have new fans who are real sports fans, and someone reacts like this, then you're going to go for him for just pointing, saying that you fouled? Grow up," she said.
Additionally, Cunningham suggested that the Aces received favorable treatment from referees, referring to an "A'ja whistle," while referencing her teammate Caitlin Clark's earlier comments on the unequal foul calls in the series.
Following the incident, Wilson characterized the fan's behavior as "unacceptable" and apologized to her teammates for receiving the technical foul. In Game 3, she responded strongly by scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, helping the Aces advance by eliminating the Fever. The Aces are now set to face the Golden State Valkyries in the semifinals, with their series beginning on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.