Unrivaled is missing some familiar stars this year, with Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu and Napheesa Collier all sitting out. The crowd is also waiting for Caitlin Clark to show up, although that still feels unlikely anytime soon. Even so, the 3×3 league managed to bring in Paige Bueckers, and she has quickly become the player every opponent wants to test.

In her debut season with Breeze BC, Paige Bueckers has looked unstoppable. She has put up 167 points at 23.8 per game, pulled down 52 rebounds at 7.4 per game, and handed out 45 assists at 6.4 per game. Her impact has helped Breeze BC climb to fourth in the standings with a 4-3 record.

Naturally, she has become a target for opposing players, which makes sense when you are having a season like this. And because Unrivaled is a 3×3 league, the physicality automatically goes up. That was exactly the case when Alyssa Thomas and her Laces BC went up against Paige Bueckers and Breeze BC.

Fans were not happy when Alyssa Thomas was seen charging straight at Paige on one play, with the WNBA Rookie of the Year hitting the deck instantly and the refs keeping the whistle quiet. That moment sparked a lot of anger and social media quickly lit up with reactions. Here are some of them.

Paige Bueckers Fans Unhappy With Physicality in Unrivaled

A fan shared the entire sequence and wrote, “Imagine lowering your shoulders into somebody who has already dealt with major injuries in Paige Bueckers. Somebody who does not need to play in this league because they carry heavy brand deals. But it’s Alyssa Thomas. I’m not surprised.🚨🚨” Watching the clip back, it does look like an obvious foul.

Another fan chimed in and posted a photo of the play with the caption, “That’s a charge all day, every day.” But anyone who has followed Thomas’ journey knows she has always been fiercely competitive, and she only cares about winning. So when someone says Thomas was out there trying to hurt Paige, that is not something we can get behind. Both of them have battled injuries in their careers, and they understand how tough that is.

We all know Paige’s injury history. She went from winning National Player of the Year as a freshman to dealing with a tibial plateau fracture, a torn ACL, and a sprained knee in the years that followed. Alyssa Thomas has her own history with injuries as well.

Her shoulder injuries became part of the story every time she stepped on the floor, with fans and media pointing out her cartilage deficit and her choice to avoid surgery due to the long rehab. And if that was not enough, she also tore her Achilles in 2021.

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But that did not stop one fan from saying, “She’s a bully and a liability.” We understand where that sentiment comes from. While we do not support the idea that she is intentionally trying to injure players, we do agree that she can get physical at times. So let’s rewind to last season in the W.

The Phoenix Mercury had one of the best defenses in the league last season, and their identity became high-ball pressure. At the center of it all was Alyssa Thomas. They ran a bunch of flat-screen sets through her that worked like an inverted pick-and-fade. Thomas handled the ball above the three-point line while a guard, usually the point guard, set a screen, then slipped and faded out to the arc as Thomas drove hard to the rim. Coach Cheryl Reeve even joked about it, calling it the WNBA’s version of a “tush-push.”

This action caused more than a few problems for opponents, and the Phoenix Mercury picked up the “bad girls” label in the W. We all remember the collision between Thomas and Collier in the playoffs, which left Phee with torn ligaments in her ankle and shin and ruled her out of this season’s Unrivaled. But again, it was not a play meant to injure her. It was a physical play that went uncalled by the refs.

Another fan added, “AT, BG, Marina should not be allowed to play basketball anymore, it is dangerous for other players.” Marina Mabrey has grown into another physical player, and she was in the headlines recently after committing an obvious blocking foul on Rickea Jackson while trying to close the open lane. Jackson went down after the hit, and the follow-through with her arms made it look even rougher. The refs called it a common foul, but fans definitely wanted more.

It is about time we start questioning the refs, because if they continue to allow this level of physical play, the chances of injuries are always going to rise.

Even in the weekend game between Laces and Breeze, Thomas was doing what she always does, playing physical, and the ref failed to call a foul after she charged into Paige Bueckers. This cannot necessarily be categorized as AT’s fault, but we understand why fans felt agitated.

Lastly, one fan doubled down on the officiating, saying, “Um not a charge? I’m glad CC isn’t playing because these refs are just as bad as the W,” and that is a point we have been trying to make as well. Caitlin Clark’s sophomore season was limited to just 13 games, and in those 13 games, we saw how many calls went against her. It became a real source of frustration.

What do you think? Should players like AT and Mabrey tone down their physicality, or should the refs do a better job of controlling these plays? Or is it a mix of both? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!