Show Me Something – Ep. 10

Sophie Cunningham on WNBA Leadership & Lockout, Napheesa Collier, Caitlin Clark, + Fever Playoff Exit

Release Date: October 3, 2025
Hosts: Sophie Cunningham (Indiana Fever, WNBA) & Wes Wilson (Reality TV Personality)

Main Theme

This episode dives deep into the Indiana Fever’s dramatic playoff exit, the challenges and controversies within WNBA leadership, and escalating player discontent—punctuated by Napheesa Collier’s viral remarks on league conditions. Sophie offers unfiltered, insider commentary on WNBA officiating, the current state and future of the league, negotiations around player compensation, and how stars like Caitlin Clark are (and aren’t) being embraced. The conversation oscillates between sharp criticism and camaraderie, with personal stories, locker room insights, and even venturing into lighter stories about rec league sports and dating.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Fever Playoff Run & Heartbreaking Exit

• Wes and Sophie reflect on Fever’s unexpected playoff success despite major injuries.
• The Fever faced a dominant team with multiple Olympians and pushed them to overtime.
• [03:27] Sophie: “We should have been done. I don’t even know if we should have made playoffs with the amount of injuries and everything we did. And then we took a team… five Olympians… to overtime.”
• Both criticize overtime officiating and note that “MVP” caliber players on the opposing team seemed to get every break.

2. Refereeing & League Accountability

• Sophie is candid in her criticism of officiating, citing inconsistent standards and perceived agendas.
• [05:36] Sophie: On Aaliyah Boston fouling out—“You don’t foul out an All Star in the finals. People aren’t paying money to come watch you ref a game to sit in All Stars ass on the bench. What are we doing?”
• She notes a viral video showing missed calls on other stars and calls for rules and criteria to evolve with the league. (06:36)
• Open discussion on why WNBA officiating lags behind NBA; lack of accountability and insufficiently rigorous training were cited.
• [08:41] Sophie: “We have a lot of smart business people in the league...but they don't know shit about basketball. And that is a huge, huge problem.”

3. Napheesa Collier’s Statement & Player Solidarity

• Wes recaps Nafessa Collier’s viral exit interview (12:00 onward), where Collier alleged commissioners and league leadership neither listen to nor care about players, especially amid negotiations. --“That takes balls. That takes big balls to do what she did.” (12:29)
• Sophie says every player is backing Nafessa; the “fed up” sentiment is universal.
• [14:04] Sophie: “When we’re talking about a lockout or a strike… yes. 100%... our union right now is as strong as it's ever been and it's super exciting.”

4. CBA, Compensation & Revenue Sharing

• Sophie stops short of revealing CBA details but promises “when we do, you are going to be shook. Shook to the core.” (14:40)
• She points to paltry revenue share as the foremost issue:
  • [15:08] Sophie: “…our salary should be tied to the business that we bring in. And it is not at all… it is the most disrespectful percentage… any league has ever seen.”
• Both disparage WNBA’s resistance to transparency and innovation, suggesting entrenched executives are holding things back.
• Sophie: “We want the W to thrive. This is the best momentum the W has ever had, and it’s time to capitalize on it.” (16:11)

5. Commissioner Kathy Englebert & League Leadership

• Discussion sharpens on Englebert’s dismissive stance toward players—especially Caitlin Clark.
  • Wes: “Why is she so afraid of Caitlin? Why would you not embrace someone like that and just be so dismissive?...The most successful leagues embrace their fucking stars.” (16:26)
• Sophie: “Great leaders want to see other people be more successful than them... She’s not [a great leader], in any sense.”
• The hosts deride the idea that Clark “should thank the commissioner for her platform”—Sophie calls it “insane.”
• [24:27] Sophie: “If that’s true… go pack for Cabo, because you should not be sitting in that seat.”

6. Locker Room & Team Reflection

• Sophie expresses enormous pride in the Fever’s culture and camaraderie, framing this as the “season from hell” adversity-wise but “grateful” for it.
  • “One, our locker room… was so close knit… I’ve never been part of a locker room like that ever.” (31:53)
• Kelsey Mitchell’s MVP-level play and frightening, hospitalization-level injury are discussed with visible emotion.
  • [29:09] Sophie: “Nobody in our entire league could stop Kelsey Mitchell this year. I want to be her biggest fan…”

7. The Future & Fatigue

• Sophie and Wes agree that the WNBA is at a pivotal moment, but Sophie confesses:
  • [33:30] Sophie: “I don’t even know if I’m gonna watch [the Finals]. I need a break from the toxicity of the WNBA. It’s been drama filled season for multiple reasons… I’m drained.”
• Jokes about fan fundraising for Sophie’s league fines—she assures any donations go to charity, not yachts.

8. Lighter Moments, Rec League Sports & Q&A

• Wes recounts hilarious rec basketball and even more dramatic kickball league moments, playfully paralleling workplace drama with sports politics.
• Both riff on how seriously people take adult rec leagues compared to professional drama—“If you’re fighting at kickball, it...tells me who didn’t play sports.” (47:45)
• Listener “Tell Me Something” segment: Caitlin from San Diego asks about worst dating pools—Sophie says Scottsdale men are too pretty/feminine for her tastes; Wes claims New York is a dating jungle (“90 hot chicks” at dinner outside, any night).
• The mood stays irreverent and playful, closing with an invite to a wedding in Texas.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On refereeing quality:
  • Sophie: “The criteria needs to change. If our game is growing and it's changing, then our criteria can't be from the 1700s. Like, let's go. Let's get with the times a little bit.” —[06:36]
• On league/commissioner callousness:
  • “They should feel ashamed… for what they’re giving back to us. Because it’s nothing. They’re not even engaging. It is. It is bad.” —Sophie [13:14]
• On revenue sharing:
  • “It is the most disrespectful percentage… any league has ever seen.” —Sophie [15:20]
• On Caitlin Clark “owing” the league:
  • “Go pack for Cabo, because you should not be sitting in that seat.” —Sophie [24:27]
• Wes to Sophie about fines for outspoken social media:
  • “On Instagram you said people only know Kathy because of Caitlin Clark. She’s the most delusional leader… Ballsy.” [23:06]
• On the outstanding season despite setbacks:
  • “People don't even go through the amount of adversity and everything that happened to us in a career, let alone one season. So… this team will always remember this for the good and the bad.” —Sophie [31:53]
• On rec league drama:
  • Wes: “It was the first time in my life I felt like I was a coach, and I had, like, a speech naturally, like, bubbling out of my throat.” [44:07]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Fever’s Playoff Journey & Officiating Frustrations: 02:26–08:41
• Napheesa Collier Viral Exit & League Criticism: 12:00–16:26
• CBA Negotiations/Player Standing up & Lockout Threat: 13:14–16:20, 26:32
• Direct Shots at Commissioner/Leadership: 16:26–19:14
• Kelsey Mitchell Injury Story: 26:55–31:18
• Season Reflection & Locker Room Story: 31:33–32:46
• Fatigue & Finals Disinterest: 33:30–33:49
• Listener Dating Q&A / City Rankings: 50:02–56:07

Tone & Style

Candid, passionate, unfiltered, and humorous—a blend of serious advocacy, insider banter, and self-deprecating wit. Sophie is forthright and emotional about the state of her league, while Wes plays the role of both hype-man and irreverent friend, keeping the conversation lively even as it tackles heavy WNBA issues.

For New Listeners

This episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look into the morale and mindset of top WNBA players as the league approaches a potential labor showdown. Learn not just about gameplay, but about solidarity, intra-league politics, and what it means to fight for real change during a cultural flashpoint for women’s sports—tempered with the hosts’ contagious warmth, humor, and Missouri roots.