Sophie Cunningham instructs reporters to tell WNBA commissioner to 'pay us' amid union contract standoff

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham sent a blunt message to the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert while speaking to reporters on Sunday. 

When asked about whether the WNBA season is too long or too short, Cunningham referenced the league's ongoing negotiations with the players' union about a new collective bargaining agreement, and players expressing a desire for more money. 

"You can just tell Cathy to pay us, and then we can have a discussion," Cunningham said. 

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Cunningham is just one of many players to speak out about desiring more compensation as the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) negotiates a new deal with the league. 

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during the Wings game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 27, 2025. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

Players at the All-Star game on Saturday wore T-shirts that read "Pay Us What You Owe Us" during warmups. The shirts included the WNBPA logo.

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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon get into a fight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, June 17, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

The players met with league officials Thursday, and the sides did not reach a deal. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was one of many WNBA players who have criticized the league's handling of negotiations. 

"It was an eye-opener for me. Like, hearing the things and hearing the language of things and not things that I was happy to hear. It was disrespectful the things that we were sent back, the proposal that we were sent back," she said Friday.

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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reacts against the Brazil National Team at Carver-Haweye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, May 4, 2025. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)

"It's important to be able to be vocal. If I sit back, it looks like I don't care." 

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu said the players weren't going to settle for "the minimum" in negotiations, while Phoenix Mercury player Satou Sabally called the league's latest offer a "slap in the face."

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