Sophie Cunningham Called Out WNBA Refs for Giving Paige Bueckers Favorable Treatment

Sophie Cunningham felt the refs gave Paige Bueckers "every whistle" in the Fever's loss to the Wings.

Sophie Cunningham felt Paige Bueckers was given favorable treatment by refs in the Wings' win over the Fever on Wednesday. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Fever narrowly fell to the Wings 81–80 on Tuesday, and Indiana walked away from the game displeased once again with the officiating.

Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who was called for a flagrant foul on Wings guard Paige Bueckers, felt that the star rookie got unfair favorable treatment from the referees during the game. Cunningham was recently fined for criticizing officiating on a prior episode of her podcast, but did not hold back expressing her honest thoughts on the refs again.

"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 whistle last night," Cunningham said on her podcast, Show Me Something. "You literally couldn't touch her, couldn't touch her. That s— is so annoying to me. And if you're going to do that, then to give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency.

Sophie on the refs last night

“I love Paige to death…but those refs were giving her every freaking whistle last night like you literally couldn’t touch her. That shit is so annoying to me. If you’re gonna do that then give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency.” pic.twitter.com/V6JgKSvbbb

— correlation (@nosyone4) August 13, 2025

"We know she's a good rookie and she's going to get some whistles, but to get the treatment she got last night was crazy," Cunningham continued. "... She's already gonna be a GOAT, she's gonna be a Hall of Famer, everyone knows it. ... But getting some of those whistles already, oh my."

Fever coach Stephanie White also spoke out about the officiating in the loss, but honed in on the lack of calls on Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston after the game.

"I think it was a physical game. I think there's a double standard in how people get their calls," White said. "I think Kelsey Mitchell, No. 1, is held or chucked on every freaking possession and never gets a call off the ball. I think Aliyah Boston is the worst officiated post player in the league. She never gets a call. There's a double standard there, certainly. But, again, if it's going to be physical and you're going to allow us to be physical then allow both teams to be physical. If you're going to call the holds and you're going to call the chucks, then call it both ways."

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