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 fires back at fan over Paige Bueckers foul debate

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Jan 17, 2026 3:01 PM ET

Sophie Cunningham was the Indiana Fever's primary defender on Paige Bueckers whenever the Fever faced the Dallas Wings during the 2025 WNBA season.

There were four instances of this. And in three of these games, Bueckers outscored her average of 19.2 points per game. She contributed 27 points when the Wings lost to the Fever on June 27, tallied 21 points when Indiana beat Dallas on July 13, and scored 22 points when the Fever beat the Wings on August 1.

Surprisingly enough, the one time where Bueckers didn't meet her 19.2 points per game average against the Fever was the one time Dallas won the matchup, which was an 81-80 win on August 12. She scored 16 points in that contest, shooting 31.5% from the field and missing all four of her three-point attempts.

Despite Bueckers' relatively quiet night, Cunningham was not happy about how the referees handled that contest. She made that clear during an August 13 edition of her Show Me Something podcast with West Wilson.

"But like, 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."

Sophie Cunningham sends scathing message to fan over Paige Bueckers foul take

Cunningham posted a TikTok video on January 15 where she and Chloe Bibby stole a ball from Bueckers during a game, and then Cunningham took it in for a layup. There was certainly some physical contact on the play, and Bueckers was grimacing when she hit the floor, suggesting that she certainly believed a foul should have been called.

TikTok user @eastonnapier11 shared this sentiment, as they posted a screenshot of the moment where Cunningham came into contact with Bueckers on that play and wrote, "Kinda looks like a foul".

"I’ll show you what a foul REALLY is," Cunningham responded to the fan.

While Cunningham was surely just joking around, her defense against Bueckers might be a sore subject for the Fever standout.

Perhaps Cunningham will end up playing with Bueckers on the Wings in 2026, given that she's set to become a free agent. But it's more likely she'll return to Indiana and have to guard Bueckers some more later this year.

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

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