The Las Vegas Aces officially eliminated the Indiana Fever from the WNBA playoffs a few days ago, but that doesn’t mean players are no longer reacting to the fallout from the recent controversy.
Those controversies included a heated argument between ace Aja Wilson and an Indiana fan in the fourth quarter of Game 2. After Sophie Cunningham was called for a foul while trying to defend Wilson in the lane, the fan stood up from her seat a few rows away from the baseline, pointed at Wilson, and yelled at her.
Wilson expressed objections to the fan’s actions and/or comments, prompting her to yell at the individual, point at them, and then leave the court to confront them in her seat. Arena security and teammates intervened and removed Wilson from the crowd area, de-escalating the intense confrontation.
Wilson received a technical foul for leaving the court and confronting fans. Fans were allowed to return to their seats, although security briefly removed them from their seats so Fever security could investigate the altercation. James Boyd of The Athletic reported The Fanatic’s statement on the incident.
The Fever ended their playoff run Thursday night with a 94-83 loss in Game 3. Just days later, Cunningham appeared on a new episode of her “No Hesitation” podcast with co-host Drew Hanlen and commented on Wilson’s performance in Game 2.
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“We women in sports, we shout that we want equality, we want to be treated like men, we want all these things, we deserve all these things, and we do, we do deserve it,” Cunningham said.
“But if you ask all these fans to come and you have new fans who are real sports fans and they come and do some of the things you might do if you were a sports fan of the other team, like, then we get like grown ups because they just point their fingers and say you fouled. Like, what are we doing?” she said.
“I’ve heard the worst. That’s part of it. That’s part of it. Like, who cares?” Cunningham said, suggesting she may have been under attack for “two seasons” for the views and character she represents.
Cunningham, who has become known for being controversial and outspoken over the past few seasons, said players “should be grateful to play basketball for a living and inspire the next generation.”
“If you really want sports fans, you’re going to get sports fans, and that includes fingering. That includes being yelled at, possibly being insulted. With all the praise and good things that come with it, you have to look at the negative side,” she said, adding, “I don’t think [the fan] Definitely doing something wrong. “
Cunningham said that “could be the reason for Wilson’s suspension,” but added, “She’s like the LeBron James of our league, so of course they’re not going to suspend her.”
“I think it constitutes a double standard,” she said, adding that there would be no repercussions for Wilson beyond the technical foul, but acknowledged, “We want her to play. I think it leads to good basketball.”
Wilson performed well in his third game in Las Vegas, scoring 36 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks to lead the team to victory. This eliminated Indiana from the WNBA playoffs, while Las Vegas advanced to the semifinals.
In the Fever’s loss, Cunningham finished with five points, two assists, one rebound and one steal. She will likely continue to react to more of the WNBA playoffs on her podcast, which typically airs one episode per week.
In the semifinals, the defending WNBA champion Aces will take on the Golden State Valkyrie, while Cunningham and the Fever players will have to watch from a distance or enjoy their offseason rest and recovery.
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