Sophie Cunningham Calls Out A’ja Wilson Over Pointing Incident: “Grow Up”
Sophie Cunningham has never been one to back down from a confrontation. And in the aftermath of the Indiana Fever’s season-ending playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces, she made it clear she wasn’t done talking about the moment that dominated headlines during the first-round series.
The incident in question unfolded in Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, when Aces superstar A’ja Wilson left the court to confront a Fever fan seated behind the baseline. The fan had pointed at Wilson and appeared to say “That’s on you” after Cunningham was whistled for a foul on the play. Wilson, the four-time WNBA MVP, stormed toward the spectator, jabbing her finger at him as teammates and security rushed to intervene .
Wilson was assessed a technical foul but was not ejected. The fan was briefly escorted from his seat before arena security determined he had not violated the Fan Code of Conduct and allowed him to return .
Cunningham, who was directly involved in the play that preceded the confrontation, wasted no time weighing in. On Wednesday, she posted a TikTok video that many interpreted as a troll of Wilson, sarcastically declaring it “a comeback year for the point” — a reference to her own viral finger-pointing moment with DeWanna Bonner earlier in the season .
Then, after the Fever’s Game 3 loss ended their season, Cunningham expanded on her feelings during an episode of her “No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen” podcast.
“Us women in sport… we yell from the rooftops that we want equality, that we want to be treated like the men, that we want all this stuff and we deserve all these things — and we do. We do deserve it, right?” Cunningham said. “But if you’re asking for all these fans to come and you have new fans who are real sports fans and they come and do something that a sports fan would probably do if you’re on the opposing team… like grow up. What are we doing?”
Cunningham didn’t stop there. She suggested Wilson should have faced discipline for leaving the court area, pointing to the WNBA rulebook.
“If you want to get technical, that could have caused a suspension. But she’s like the LeBron James of our league, so of course they’re not going to suspend her,” Cunningham said. “So, I’m not even going to get into that. But something should have happened there. The two people who came off the bench onto the court — that should not have happened. And so I think there’s definitely a double standard” .
Wilson addressed the incident in her postgame press conference after Game 2, making it clear she viewed the fan’s actions as crossing a line.
“If I see a man come at me, taking steps towards me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said, I don’t give a damn how you said it, the tone — that is unacceptable,” Wilson said. “You should never step towards me and point at me. That there is unacceptable” .
Wilson also apologized to her team for the technical foul but stood by her reaction: “You don’t have to love me. You can hate me with all your heart, but you don’t know me. But I can guarantee that you will respect me” .
Cunningham, for her part, acknowledged that she and the Fever actually wanted Wilson on the floor for Game 3, recognizing that a suspension would have tainted any potential series win.
“Of course, we wanted her to play. That makes good basketball,” Cunningham said. “And I don’t think it would have been — if we would have won and she wouldn’t have been there — I don’t think it would have been fair. We would have gotten a lot of backlash from that” .
But she remained firm in her belief that Wilson overreacted to a fan doing what opposing fans do.
“For someone pointing and saying that the foul was on you, like, grow up. I’m over it,” Cunningham said .
The drama added another layer to an already simmering rivalry between the Fever and Aces, two franchises that have become the WNBA’s most compelling matchup in recent years. The Aces ultimately had the last word on the court, with Wilson scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 94-83 Game 3 victory that eliminated Indiana and ended Caitlin Clark’s second professional season .
Cunningham’s comments also sparked broader debate about fan behavior in the WNBA and the line between passionate support and disrespect. Cunningham argued that as the league grows and attracts more mainstream sports fans, players need to accept that opposing crowds will be hostile.
“I can say this because I hands down have probably got s— on the entire season… of people coming after who I am, my character, what I stand for. I’ve heard the worst of the worst,” Cunningham said. “It’s part of it. Like, who cares?”
Whether Cunningham’s critique of Wilson will carry weight or simply add fuel to an already intense rivalry remains to be seen. What’s certain is that the Fever guard isn’t backing down — and the next chapter of Fever-Aces promises to be must-see television.
