Paige Bueckers responds to Sophie Cunningham’s comments on officiating

Paige Bueckers has reacted to comments made by fellow WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, who seemed to dismiss her performance.

After the Indiana Fever’s narrow, one-point loss to Bueckers and the Dallas Wings earlier this week, Cunningham expressed her frustration over what she perceived as favorable officiating for the former UConn guard.

Bueckers scored 16 points during the game but only attempted four free throws in the win.

“I really like Paige. Don’t get me wrong; she’s an incredible player, and I’d love to play alongside her one day,” Cunningham said on her podcast, “Show Me Something.” She continued, “But the calls she got were just… frustrating. You could barely even make contact with her. That bugs me.”

“If you’re going to give those calls, they should go to our guards. I can’t stand inconsistencies.”

When asked about Cunningham’s remarks before the Fever’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Bueckers simply stated, “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.”

The first overall pick in the 2025 draft, Bueckers averages 18.8 points and 5.4 assists over her first 27 games in the WNBA.

Despite this, the Wings are struggling, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 9-25 record, and their win against the Fever marked their only victory in the last seven games.

Cunningham’s comments arose during a discussion about their star player, Caitlyn Clark, who she felt wasn’t getting the foul calls she deserved.

With Clark sidelined, the Fever has been struggling to meet expectations set before the season.

Cunningham stirred up some attention on social media by posting two photos and captioning it, “They smell the same.”

The Fever is set to take on the league’s worst team, the Sun, on Sunday while currently holding a 7th place position in the WNBA with an 18-16 record.