Aug 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Wings coach Chris Koclanes talks with guard Paige Bueckers (5) against the LA Sparks in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wings Coach Calmly Calls Out WNBA Referees Over Paige Bueckers Treatment

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 10:49 PM ET

The Dallas Wings fell to 9-29 on the 2025 WNBA season after their 90-81 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday. This marks the fifth consecutive game that Dallas has lost, and it have come up short in 10 of their past 11 contests overall.

It was another tough night at the office for star rookie Paige Bueckers, who finished with just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting to go along with nine assists in the defeat. The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year favorite now has a combined 20 points in her last two games after her 44-point outburst against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday.

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham called WNBA referees out for giving Bueckers a preferential whistle earlier this month, saying, "Those refs were giving her every freaking whistle last night. 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."

Wings coach Chris Koclanes would agree with what Cunningham said about inconsistency at the end, given his comments about how Bueckers was refereed after Sunday's loss.

When Koclanes was asked how Bueckers handled frustration with referees when speaking with the media, he said, "She was attacking the rim and playing in the paint downhill. For her to only go to the free throw line two times, something is off there ... I don't agree with that," per an X post from Melissa Triebwasser.

Chris Koclanes took up for Paige Bueckers postgame.

“How many times does she have to be on the ground for us to start protecting her and cleaning up the physicality?”#wingsup #wnba #paigebueckers pic.twitter.com/YrsX7a2L1N
— Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) August 24, 2025

Koclanes later continued, "It's physical, the whistle is not going our way, and I see [Paige] just get run over ... She's boxing out, and just getting absolutely run over and thrown to the ground. Like, how many times does she have to be on the ground for us to start protecting her and cleaning up the physicality?

"Yeah. You've got to step in and support your players, and make sure they know that you have their back," he then said.

While Koclanes has received a lot of criticism from much of the women's basketball community this season for seemingly being in over his head as a head coach at times, he does always support his players, which he deserves some credit for.

Then again, wins and losses are the hallmark of a good coach. And Koclanes' Wings squad has struggled in that regard throughout this season.

This article first appeared on Women's Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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