Paige Bueckers is under fire after a viral video left fans furious. With Team USA’s World Cup campaign just days away, the controversy has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with a lighthearted clip posted by Angel Reese.
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In a TikTok posted by Reese, several Team USA players were dancing and joking around in their jerseys ahead of their September 4 opener against China. But Bueckers stole the attention for all the wrong reasons. The Dallas Wings star was seen upside down against a wall while twerking, sparking outrage among fans who felt she had disrespected the Team USA jersey.
The snippet was posted to X by @DALWingsUpdates.
That explains why a playful clip triggered such a serious reaction.
USA Basketball’s Code of Conduct requires players to show respect on and off the court, conduct themselves as representatives of the United States, and avoid behavior that could damage the organization or the sport’s reputation.
There is no indication that USA Basketball considers Bueckers’ actions a violation or plans to discipline her.
The backlash arrives just days before Team USA begins its pursuit of a fifth consecutive World Cup title in Berlin. The Americans will face China, Italy and Czechia in Group D.
Team USA’s problems do not end there.
A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum withdrew at the last minute due to injuries, leaving the Americans without two of their biggest stars and forcing them to rely even more heavily on their young players.
It was not the first lighthearted social-media moment involving Reese and Bueckers to create trouble. During All-Star Weekend, the two jokingly discussed a $400 wager on a Wings-Dream game. The WNBA deleted its post featuring the exchange and later said that although it was intended as a joke, conversations about wagering on league games could have negative consequences.
“If y’all win, you get your 400,” Reese appears to say before adding that if Atlanta wins, “you owe me 400.”
When a reporter later confronted Bueckers about the wager, she played dumb, smiling as she replied, “We did?”
The WNBA initially shared the video on its official account before quickly deleting it. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, the league clarified that the wager was a joke but said it would remind the players involved about its strict gambling policies.
“While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,” it read.
“We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally. We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”
Regardless, the most recent video did Bueckers no favors.