Sophie Cunningham Calls Out WNBA Refs For Giving Paige Bueckers Special Treatment

Sophie Cunningham must really love paying fines.

The Indiana Fever guard has already been penalized twice for criticizing WNBA officiating. And on this week's episode of her Show Me Something podcast, Cunningham was at it again — this time taking aim at the refs for seemingly giving special treatment to Dallas Wings rookie superstar Paige Bueckers.

"I love Paige to death, don't get me wrong," Cunningham said. "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. You literally couldn't touch her, couldn't touch her. That sh*t is so annoying to me. And if you're going to do that, then give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency."

Sophie Cunningham believes WNBA officials let Paige Bueckers get away with too much.

(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Fever, currently in the thick of the playoff race, lost 81-80 at home to the Wings on Tuesday. Bueckers scored 16 points in the game, going 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Three of those free throws came in the game's opening minutes when Cunningham was called for a flagrant foul for stepping into Bueckers' landing area on a 3-point shot.

"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 said. "... 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."

Cunningham was already fined $500 last month over a TikTok video making fun of WNBA referees. Then, just a couple of weeks later, she was hit with a $1,500 fine for criticizing officials on the debut episode of her podcast.

Indiana head coach Stephanie White also complained about the "double standard" in officiating after Tuesday's loss to the Wings, though she didn't call out Bueckers by name.

"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."

At the rate they're going, Fever fans are going to have to start a GoFundMe to take care of all these fines.