Do referees have favorites? Yes, says Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham, adding that they specifically seem to love Paige Bueckers. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, the Fever lost 80-81 to the Dallas Wings, with Bueckers scoring 16 points, while recording eight assists and five rebounds.
On Wednesday’s episode of her podcast, “Show Me Something,” Cunningham complained to co-host West Wilson about what she saw as preferential treatment from the referees towards Paige Bueckers during Tuesday’s encounter.
“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. You literally couldn’t touch her. And that is so annoying to me. If you’re going to do that, then give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency. When whistles are player-focused, I think that’s a huge problem,” said the shooting guard (19:45).
Cunningham’s own performance was decent during the encounter, scoring 14 points and recording three assists and two rebounds. The Fever were once again without their star guard, Caitlin Clark, who remains out with a groin injury she suffered in mid-July during a victory over the Connecticut Sun.
The defeat can be seen as a hiccup in the Fever’s chase of a playoff spot, as they lost to the now 9-24 Dallas Wings. Indiana, for its part, has a record of 18-15.
Candace Parker believes Paige Bueckers could be the WNBA Rookie of the Year
On Wednesday’s episode of the “Post Moves” podcast, Candace Parker shared her opinion on who she thinks will be the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. She favored Paige Bueckers, but added that there’s a drawback to her case.
“I think the only unfavorable kind of check on Paige’s side is that she has missed seven games. There are no such rules in the WNBA of an amount of games that you have to play to be eligible to play for postseason awards,” Parker said.
“Paige is having herself a season. It’s just a matter of her being on the court, which is what all of us want to see. I think give the nod to Paige for Rookie of the Year,” she added.
The Dallas Wings guard is averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 and 1.4 steals per game at the moment. However, Candace pointed out that she has played only 26 games this season.
Also Read:
“She Took Me Under Her Wing”: UConn’s Kamorea Arnold Opens Up About Relationship With Paige Bueckers
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
