“She’s Like LeBron James,” Sophie Cunningham Calls Out WNBA’s Double Standards Over A’ja Wilson ‘Pointing’ Situation

Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham thinks A'ja Wilson wasn't suspended because she's 'LeBron James' of WNBA.

“She’s Like LeBron James,” Sophie Cunningham Calls Out WNBA’s Double Standards Over A’ja Wilson ‘Pointing’ Situation

Sophie Cunningham on A'ja Wilson (Image credits - Yahoo Sports and WNBA)

A’ja Wilson is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever grace the WNBA. Drafted by the Las Vegas as the number one pick in 2018, she has cemented her place in the history books and shown no signs of slowing down.

After a historic 2025 WNBA campaign in which she won the championship, Finals MVP, and league MVP, she is well on course to repeat it this year. She is a strong favorite to win the MVP award and has just led her team to the second round of the playoffs.

While Wilson was the best player on the court during her series against the Indiana Fever, she made the headlines for her tense encounter with a Fever fan in Game 2. Under WNBA rules, she should have been ejected for confronting the fan in the stands.

However, she faced no consequences beyond a technical foul. The 30-year-old defended her actions by claiming that the fan pointed his finger at her, which warranted a suspension according to the rules.

Sophie Cunningham, who is well known for not shying away from speaking her mind, claimed that she was protected because she is the LeBron James of the WNBA.

She’s like the LeBron James of our league and so of course they’re not going to suspend her. I definitely think there’s a double standard. We wanted her to play, I think that makes for good basketball.

Sophie Cunningham on No Hesitation Show

It is a fair comparison as Wilson has been one of the biggest draws in the WNBA for nearly a decade, while James has been the face of the NBA for nearly 20 years.

Just like Wilson after Game 2, many believe that even LeBron James is often protected by the league because of what he represents. Big stars often get preferential treatment in these situations and are treated above the rules of the game.

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Nick Wright calls out Sophie Cunningham’s A’ja Wilson taunt with a LeBron James example

After the Fever won Game 2, Cunningham took the opportunity to take a subtle jab at the three-time champion. She made it clear the league should have intervened based on Wilson’s crowd interaction with the Fever fan. After their investigation, the Fever also ruled that there had been no violation of the Fan Code of Conduct and closed the matter.

However, Sophie Cunningham‘s comments sparked a response from Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright.

Last point, regardless of what you feel about Sophie Cunningham’s views, I think we can all agree that her mocking A’Ja online is tantamount to if Kent Bazemore went after LeBron during the ‘15 ECF. Just an absolutely absurd “Don’t poke the beast” moment from a bench player.

Nick Wright on X

Wright was referencing the time when Kent Bazemore poked James in 2015 during the Eastern Conference Finals. James and the Cleveland Cavaliers swept Bazemore and the Atlanta Hawks. It’s never a good idea to poke the top stars of a league, as Wilson also ended up with a dominant performance in Game 3 to knock out the Fever.

A’ja Wilson leads the Las Vegas Aces to the semifinals of the playoffs

After a historic 2025 campaign, A’ja Wilson has shown no signs of slowing down this year. She is the heavy favorite to win her fifth MVP award after some record-breaking performances in the regular season. If she does win, it will be her third consecutive MVP title.

A'ja Wilson guarding Caitlin Clark
A’ja Wilson guarding Caitlin Clark (Image credits – HITC)

There was a lot of excitement when the Las Vegas Aces drew the Fever in the first round of the playoffs as it put Wilson up against Caitlin Clark. Wilson dominated Game 1 before Clark and the Fever bounced back strongly in Game 2. Hence, Game 3 became must-watch TV.

In the end, Wilson led her team to the semifinals of the playoffs. While there were some questionable calls and no-calls during the series, she showed everyone why she is still the best player in the league today. She sealed the series with a double-double, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Except for her rookie year in 2018, Wilson has taken the Aces to the playoffs every single year. This is their eighth consecutive playoff appearance, which is a WNBA record. The Aces will face the Golden State Valkyries in the semifinals.

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