Olive Oyl on the outside and dynamite on the court. That’s how Brian Cosgriff, Paige Bueckers’ coach at Hopkins High School, remembers her – a wiry kid who didn’t look the part but quickly proved otherwise. Even Azzi Fudd admitted she initially brushed Bueckers off as just another skinny girl. But it didn’t take long for her, and the rest of the basketball world, to realize what UConn coach Geno Auriemma later summed up best: Bueckers was “Dennis the Menace” in sneakers.

“You know, charming, cute kid, means well, but just cannot help themselves,” Auriemma told Time Magazine. “They have to do something on the court, off the court, say something to let you know that there’s some mischief lurking in there.” And watching her now, it’s clear that the same “can’t help myself” spirit has followed her into the WNBA. But her most recent outburst might be pushing her into hot water, with fans starting to question whether that fiery edge is crossing a line.

Indiana’s 88–78 win over the Dallas Wings marked their fourth straight victory. But Paige Bueckers kept pushing until the final buzzer. In the tense fourth quarter, as Dallas tried to close the gap, Paige Bueckers found herself eye-to-eye with Sophie Cunningham. A quick shake, a little misdirection, and suddenly Cunningham was airborne with no ball in sight. Bueckers, unfazed, slid to the side, rose up, and hit the jumper like she’d done it a hundred times before.

Still, while that sort of grit had fans buzzing, another moment sparked outrage. A no-call seemed to set Bueckers off. And instead of letting it go, she walked right up to the referee, imitating what her opponent did. She even appeared to brush against the ref in the process. And fans? They had one simple question. 

Paige Bueckers sparks debate as fans call out WNBA double standards

Everyone knows that this one was far from easy for Bueckers, who scored 22 points in 34 minutes. Late in the third, while trying to keep up with Sydney Colson, she ran straight into an Aliyah Boston screen and hit the deck, clutching her leg. She limped off on her own but was subbed out immediately. She then headed toward the tunnel, only to hop on the bike and return to the bench. By the fourth, she was back in the game like nothing had happened.

But that fall wasn’t the only one. Bueckers kept getting knocked around with zero calls, and for a moment, it looked like the refs might get criticized for it. Instead, as her patience wore thin, so did the fans’ sympathy. It didn’t take long for them to turn up the heat on Bueckers, too.

After she lightly chest-bumped the ref, one viewer posted, “Definitely should’ve been ejected. There has to be a standard.” Well, she wasn’t ejected and received only a warning. And for a league already under the microscope for its officiating, this moment slid right onto the ever-growing list of eyebrow-raisers. Another user chimed in, “Never in my life have I seen a player be able to contact an official and not get the hammer thrown down on ’em… just crazy.” 

And to back that up, fans were instantly reminded of Brittney Griner. Just a few weeks ago, Griner was hit with back-to-back technicals and ejected from the Dream vs. Wings matchup. What triggered it? Minimal contact while arguing a call with referee Angelica Suffren. Griner wasn’t mocking, just pleading her case. Still, she was tossed out without hesitation.

Then someone brought up a preseason incident with Clark. Technically, preseason doesn’t count toward official tallies but Clark did receive a tech during the preseason finale. “I know some people who technical for hitting simply hit the stanchion in frustration,” they wrote. What happened was CC threw the ball against the stanchion out of frustration after a steal, and the referee hit her with a tech instantly. No contact, no gesture at the ref. Just raw emotion, and it still drew a whistle. So the reaction is understandable. 

Another commenter pointed out, “Next time CC plays, she gets to do EXACTLY THE SAME THING… and better not get a foul, tech, or thrown out.” But that’s not how it works. According to the WNBA rulebook, any physical contact with an official, no matter how slight, is automatically a technical foul. That includes disrespectful gestures, profanity, or even following the official too closely in dissent. So then… why wasn’t Bueckers called for it?

Some fans believe it comes down to legacy. “Because she went to UConn,” said one user. UConn’s lineage in the WNBA is undeniable. From Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi, that school has produced stars, and with that, the perception of privilege. Meanwhile, players like Clark, who came from schools outside the “pipeline,” are assumed to be held to stricter standards, even when they’ve proven themselves just as marketable and impactful.

And it didn’t help Bueckers’ case that this isn’t the first time she has resorted to such expressions. Lately, she seems to have developed a flair for mimicry. During a recent game against the Mystics, she showed up in grey sweats and fully embraced her role as UConn’s honorary sideline spark. At one point, she broke into an exaggerated head flop impression of Mystics veteran Brittney Sykes, complete with dramatic hand gestures. Even though she never touched the court, the moment had social media buzzing well after the final buzzer.

Even while sidelined during the Wings’ matchup against the Aces, Bueckers still found her way into the spotlight. In the fourth quarter, cameras caught her quipping, “Do you need my glasses?” to someone off-screen, a line many viewers assumed was aimed at the refs. The clip quickly made the rounds online, fueling the narrative. But Bueckers later stepped in to clarify what really went down.

“What’s funny is social media,” said Bueckers. “I actually wasn’t talking to the ref. Teaira [McCowan] got poked in the eye, I know you guys have the clip. She got poked in the eye, so I was offering T [McCowan] my glasses, not the ref. So I just want to make that clear.”

It’s still anyone’s guess why Paige didn’t get a technical for that clear contact with the ref. With all the chatter, here’s hoping someone steps in, once again, to explain what we’re all missing. Till then, what’s your take?