Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was hit with a controversial flagrant foul on Paige Bueckers.
Slo-Mo Video of Sophie Cunningham's Flagrant Foul on Paige Bueckers Sparks Backlash originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings on Tuesday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, looking to advance to 19-14 on the year and improve their record without Caitlin Clark to 11-9 on the year. With Clark dealing with a groin injury that has prevented her from playing since July 15, the Fever have relied on others to step up in her absence.
One player who has been highly reliable in Clark's absence is 28-year-old guard Sophie Cunningham. The seven-year veteran spent the first six seasons of her career with the Phoenix Mercury before being traded to the Fever this offseason.
Cunningham came into Tuesday's bout averaging 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game on the year but has seen an uptick in scoring over the past four games, averaging nearly 15 points per game.
However, while Cunningham's scoring has been a plus for the Fever as of late, she finds herself at the center of controversy on Tuesday following a flagrant foul on Paige Bueckers. With 7:23 remaining in the first quarter, Cunningham attempted to contest a three-point attempt by the Wings' No. 1 overall pick, but ended up landing in Bueckers' landing space.
Sophie Cunningham commits a flagrant foul tonight on Paige Bueckers (reckless close-out) pic.twitter.com/2TvyR8vt1s
— Franklin the Pump Dot Fun Guy (@PumpDotFunGuy) August 12, 2025
After a review of the play, the foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, and the video of the incident has fans perplexed.
"That’s IT," questioned one fan.
"In what world is that a flagrant on Sophie Cunningham," added another.
"That foul from Sophie Cunningham wasn’t anything close to a flagrant, these officials love making it hard to enjoy watching hoops," wrote a third.
Sophie Cunningham's Issues With WNBA Officiating
WNBA officials have been widely criticized this season by a plethora of players, coaches and media members, but none seem to have more run-ins than Cunningham. She has been hit with flagrants or fines on multiple occasions this season:
June 21: Fined $400 for altercation with Connecticut Sun's Jacy Sheldon.
July 23: Fined $500 for TikTok where she @ WNBA refs and played Sabrina Carpenter's song "Manchild," indicating she was calling them "stupid," "slow" or "useless."
August 5: Fined $1,500 for comments about WNBA officials on her podcast "Show Me Something."
What's at Stake for Sophie Cunningham?
While she wasn't ejected due to it being a flagrant 1, if she were to be assessed another, she'd be automatically ejected.
In addition to possibly being ejected, Cunningham also puts herself at risk for a possible suspension if she accumulates too many flagrant fouls or technicals.
With Clark banged up and the Fever in the thick of the playoff race, they cannot afford to lose another key player.
Related: Sophie Cunningham's Outfit for Fever-Wings Is a Must-See
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
