Paige Bueckers' Blunt Response to Sophie Cunningham's Foul Complaints Goes Viral

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers didn't mince words when asked about Sophie Cunningham's complaints of the "annoying" whistle she receives.
Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA;  Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a foul call against Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a foul call against Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever standout Sophie Cunningham was the primary defender on Dallas Wings star rookie Paige Bueckers during their August 12 game against each other. While Cunningham did a solid enough job on Bueckers, she was not happy with several foul calls that went Bueckers' way.

One example of this came when Cunningham was guarding Bueckers with a short time left in the second quarter. Cunningham was playing tight defense, and in an attempt to free herself from this, Bueckers gave Cunningham a slight shove, sending Cunningham backwards. A foul was ultimately called on Cunningham, which prompted her to scream, "Goddammit!" before play resumed.

There was another instance where Cunningham received a flagrant foul because she encroached upon Bueckers' landing space when she was shooting a three-pointer.

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) in action on August 1, 2025
Aug 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham's "Annoying" Paige Bueckers Foul Call Comments

During an August 13 edition of her Show Me Something podcast with West Wilson, Cunningham spoke out about the foul calls Bueckers received during that game.

"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 freaking whistle last night," Cunningham said. "Like, you literally couldn't touch her. Couldn't touch her. And that s*** is so annoying to me. And if you're gonna do that, give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency," she added.

While Cunningham's comments were fair enough, it's no surprise that they caught the attention of Bueckers, given that they went supremely viral.

Bueckers' Response to Cunningham's Comments

Paige Bueckers was asked about the comments Cunningham made before the Wings' August 15 game against the Los Angeles Sparks and offered an honest response.

“Everyone is entitled to their own unique personal opinion," Bueckers said, per an X post from Joey Mistretta.

Bueckers' comment is already going viral, as Mistretta's post has already amassed nearly 200,000 views on X in just over an hour.

Unfortunately, the Wings and the Fever don't play each other during the regular season this year, and there's no chance the Wings are going to make it to the 2025 WNBA playoffs. Therefore, we won't get to see Bueckers and Cunningham competing on the court until 2026.

One would imagine that Bueckers has a more candid opinion of Cunningham's comments, but she seems to be keeping those to herself at the moment.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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