Sophie Cunningham didn’t hold back after the Indiana Fever’s narrow 81–80 loss to the Dallas Wings. On her Show Me Something podcast, the guard called out the referees for blowing “every freaking whistle” for rookie Paige Bueckers.
“I love Paige to death, do not get me wrong. I think that she’s a hell of a player … but those refs were giving her every freaking whistle last night. Like you literally couldn’t touch her and that sh*t is so annoying.” Cunningham said (19:46 timestamp).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYNtgUwoazE
The issue came to a head early in the game when Cunningham committed a flagrant foul on Bueckers during a close-out, ruling the call reckless and controversial. The result: free throws and full possession for the Wings. Fans quickly voiced their support, one calling the call “a legit flagrant” while others pointed to political consistency concerns.
Cunningham’s rant isn’t the first time she’s clashed with league officials—she’s been fined twice this summer (including a $1,500 penalty) for criticizing officiating. She laughed about it on social media, noting, “Maybe it’s useless.” Her critics say she’s skilled at voicing real frustrations both on the court and off.
WNBA legend Paige Bueckers has been drawing fouls all season—averaging 18.4 points—and is already favored for Rookie of the Year. But Cunningham’s point was loud and clear: Bueckers seems to have referee immunity, while the Fever’s physical play is penalized more harshly.
For now, Sophie Cunningham has made her message loud and clear: inconsistency frustrates players—and next time, she hopes the refs call both teams the same way.
Sophie Cunningham Receives Flagrant Foul After Challenge on Paige Bueckers
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham found herself in hot water during Tuesday’s matchup with the Dallas Wings—after being hit with a flagrant foul while contesting Paige Bueckers’ shot early in the game. The refs called the foul “reckless close-out,” and Cunningham took to Twitter reacting with a loud “Goddammit!” as she watched the replay.
Despite Bueckers not looking too worse from wear after that incident, fans and pundits were a but unforgiving with the call. From the looks of things, it didn’t really have to end up as bad as the call made it look.
This wasn’t Cunningham’s first officiating flashpoint. She’s been fined again—$1,500 this time—for criticizing referees on her podcast, continuing a streak of fine-able moments tied to how she pushes back on calls.
The drama underlines a bigger issue: Sophie Cunningham is not just raising her voice—she’s forcing the league to address physical play standards and referee consistency, especially during tight playoff races. Teams, fans, and refs are all watching to see how this battle unfolds.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
