Sophie Cunningham rips refs over Paige Bueckers whistles

Sophie Cunningham is calling out an early trend associated with star WNBA rookie Paige Bueckers — and it’s one she cannot believe has already started.

Following the Fever’s narrow 81-80 loss to the Wings on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Fever guard Cunningham took to her “Show Me Something” podcast to call attention to what she saw as a favorable whistle for Bueckers, the Wings’ guard and 2025 No. 1 pick who scored 16 points on the night.

“I love Paige to death,” Cunningham said. “Do not get me wrong. I think she’s a helluva player and would love to play with her one day. But those refs were giving her every freakin’ whistle last night. Like, you literally couldn’t touch her. That s–t is so annoying to me. And if you’re gonna do that, then give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency.

“We know she’s a good rookie, and she’s gonna get some whistles. But like, to get the treatment she got last night was crazy. Crazy. She’s gonna be one of those players, she’s already gonna be a GOAT, she’s gonna be a Hall of Famer. Everyone knows it. She’s a freakin’ helluva player. But getting some of those whistles already? Oh my. I couldn’t.”

While Bueckers only went to the free-throw line twice, sinking all four of her shots, she only shot 6-for-19 from the field and was drawing fouls from the Fever’s backcourt.

Both Cunningham and Lexie Hull had four fouls each.

Across 26 games this season, Bueckers — the first-overall pick by Dallas in this year’s WNBA draft — averages 4.2 free throw attempts per game and makes an average of 3.7 per contest.

The UConn alum has twice reached as high as eight attempts in a single game — once against the Sky on July 9 and the other against the Fever on Aug. 1.

Cunningham is known for openly saying her hot takes, especially her unfiltered thoughts on the refereeing in the WNBA.

The 2019 second-round pick out of Missouri was also fined $1,500 by the league over a criticism of the officials made on the first episode of her podcast, which she admitted on the second episode on Aug. 5.

The Fever, who had several gripes about the officiating in Tuesday’s loss, will not play the Wings again in the regular season.

They went 3-1 against Dallas this year.