A $15,000 FINE THAT SPARKED A MILLION-DOLLAR SHIFT. When Sophie Cunningham defended Caitlin Clark on the court, the league fined her $900 for it. That fine, meant to punish her, instead exposed the league’s “protection racket” and turned Cunningham into a hero. Her social media following exploded overnight, creating a massive shift in brand value that her former team could only watch from afar. Discover how one act of defiance became a brilliant career move in our full report.