Sophie Cunningham Calls out WNBA Refs Over Treatment of Paige Bueckers

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Aug 17, 2025 - 04:00
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Sophie Cunningham Calls out WNBA Refs Over Treatment of Paige Bueckers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Indiana Fever fell to the Dallas Wings in a nail-biting 81-80 finish on Tuesday night, handing the Wings just their ninth win of the season while dropping the Fever to 18-15 as they continue to play without star point guard Caitlin Clark.

Dallas had three players reach double figures, led by Maddy Siegrist with 22 points. Li Yueru added 20, and Paige Bueckers contributed 16 points along with eight assists and five rebounds.

For the Fever, Kelsey Mitchell led the team with a game-high 24 points, while Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham each chipped in 14 points.

Although the Fever have won three of their four matchups against the Wings this season, Cunningham voiced frustration over how Tuesday’s game unfolded, taking aim at the officiating—a topic she has already been fined multiple Tims for discussing following previous contests.

Sophie Cunningham Talks About Paige Bueckers Treatment

Cunningham, who has praised Bueckers on multiple occasions and even expressed that she would love to play alongside her one day, believes the rookie is receiving preferential treatment from the officials.

"I love Paige to death, do not get me wrong, I think she's a hell of a player and would love to play with her one day, but those refs were giving her every [explicit] whistle last night." Cunningham said. "Like you literally couldn't touch her. And that [explicit] is so annoying to me. Like and if you're gonna do that give it to our guards. We know she's a good rookie and she's gonna get some whistles, but to get the treatment she got last night is crazy."


Interestingly, Bueckers attempted just four free throws in the contest. The Fever committed 17 team fouls, while the Wings had 19.

Cunningham’s frustration may have also stemmed from her own performance, as she was called for four fouls and a flagrant one while guarding Bueckers on a 3-point attempt.

Ultimately, the difference in the game came down to turnovers. The Wings outscored the Fever by 17 points off turnovers, even though Indiana shot better from the field, hit a higher percentage from 3-point range, and out-rebounded Dallas.

Related: Lexie Hull Shows Off Stylish Pregame Outfit for Fever-Wings

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

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