Whenever a college superstar enters the W, there’s a distinct level of scrutiny that they have to overcome. “First look at Paige Bueckers. How do we feel?” People ask questions, and they want fiery, opinionated responses. Recently, West Wilson asked Indiana Fever’s very own ‘protector’, Sophie Cunningham, about the new rookie in town. We’ve seen Cunningham go to war for her teammates and leave everything on the court–aggression, desire, and a willingness to fight. But game recognises game, and that’s the way it has been for decades now.

“I love her.” Cunningham replied as she appreciated the young rookie. “I just like love her vibe and her energy, and I just think that she’s a good freakin’ human, and she’s a great basketball player.” The six-foot-one guard shared her experiences chatting and going up against the standout UConn alum. But she even took it a step further!

The thing is, Sophie Cunningham is a selfless player. She runs the entire 94 feet with an intense desire to win. So, when she saw a similar fight in Paige Bueckers, the Indiana Fever guard expressed a pretty powerful sentiment. “She’s a helluva player, and she plays the right way. I would love to play with her at some point in my career for sure.” These aren’t small words, not by any means.

We know that Sophie Cunningham is loyal beyond measure and is willing to stick her neck out for her teammates–protecting Caitlin Clark is what caused her sudden rise to fame this season, after all–so if she’s saying she wants to play with Paige Bueckers, it’s a big deal! Not only that, she said it on her own podcast.

Their matchup in the last game was quite exciting, with Bueckers showing just how deep her offensive bag is. One play in particular made eighteen thousand fans boo Cunningham as the six-foot-tall rookie from Dallas got the best of her. But how did both players react to the play and the crowd reception? And was the booing worth it? Let’s find out!

Sophie Cunningham reveals interesting dialogue with Paige Bueckers after a highlight play

Getting beat on a pump fake is a cardinal sin in basketball, especially when you’re playing an away game. That’s exactly what happened to Sophie Cunningham during Friday’s game against the Dallas Wings. Number 8 on the Indiana Fever found herself guarding rookie phenom Paige Bueckers, and it was a slaughterfest if there ever was one!

Bueckers dropped 22 points in a 88-78 loss for the Dallas Wings, but the real highlight came during the second half. Cunningham, on the Show Me Something podcast, described the special move that Paige Bueckers hit her with. “She went to the left and I cut her off, and she did a step-through and banked it.” The Indiana Fever guard admitted. It was a pretty nice move! Paige took a step back, pump faked, and made a floater off the glass.

Obviously, Dallas loved it! There were cheers for the Wings guard, and some heckling and booing for the visiting team. “We were there [American Airlines Center] so the whole crowd’s like boo! And I was like yeah, that’s a good boo.”  Cunningham said. But after a second, the play lost its magic for both the guards involved.

While running back in transition, Paige Bueckers dropped a bombshell on her defender. “We were running back and she goes ‘Hey, I travelled on that last one.'” And isn’t that a display of honesty and respect? It’s not illegal until the refs call it, but players always know. Cunningham and Bueckers exchanged honest feedback on calls the entire night, building up a pretty solid rapport.

The Indiana Fever wasn’t at full strength on Friday, but the players held down the fort pretty well! Not to mention, we got a pretty sweet Bueckers-Cunningham dynamic out of the matchup. Everyone expected the two to go back and forth the entire night, a bitter, engaging duel. But the two guards showed that game recognises game, and that adversity forges bonds! Stay tuned for more exciting WNBA action!