The Dallas Wings pulled off a nail-biting one-point victory over the Indiana Fever. This win was powered by stellar 20-plus-point outings from Li Yueru and Maddy Siegrist. Surprisingly absent from that list was rookie sensation Paige Bueckers, who had been on a hot streak, averaging 20.2 points over her previous five games.

However, the Fever defense held her in check, restricting Bueckers to just 16 points on a 6-for-19 shooting night. While it did not change the game’s outcome, it was a small silver lining in an otherwise disappointing loss. The defensive effort caught the attention of Fever’s Sophie Cunningham, who addressed it on her podcast Show Me Something with West Wilson. Her entire reaction? Just two simple words.

“That’s good,” Cunningham said with a proud smile. “Her and a girl named Maddy went off, so those were the ones we had to stop,” she added. The Fever defense delivered on that plan against Paige Bueckers, shutting down the Wings’ offensive spearhead. They forced her to miss every three-point attempt and held her to just 31.6% shooting from the field.

However, they could not contain Siegrist, who erupted for a career-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Despite Bueckers’ struggles from the floor, Wings coach Chris Koclanes still lauded her, calling her “just an incredible rookie.” In an interesting twist, even Cunningham joined in to praise her opponent.

Indiana Fever star sings praises for Paige Bueckers despite loss

The loss to the Dallas Wings was a gut punch for the Indiana Fever. After falling behind by 12 in the third quarter, they mounted a fierce comeback with a 19–3 run with a few minutes on the clock. Still, it wasn’t enough, and they were left with a bitter home defeat. Even so, Sophie Cunningham had nothing but respect for her opponent and even expressed a desire to share the court with her one day.

“I love Paige to death, don’t get me wrong,” the Fever forward said. “I think she’s a hell of a player and would love to play with her one day.” Yet Cunningham didn’t hold back when addressing what she saw as poor officiating in Bueckers’ favor. “Those refs were giving her every freaking whistle last night. Like you literally couldn’t touch her. And that s–t is so annoying to me. If you’re gonna do that, then give it to our guards. I just hate the inconsistency.”

Both Cunningham and Lexie Hull finished with four fouls apiece, while Bueckers only took four free throws despite drawing several fouls. The Fever defense hounded her all night, sending double-teams that forced her into four turnovers, the most by any Wings player. Even so, she made her presence felt by dishing out eight assists, showing yet again that she can control a game even when her shot isn’t falling.

“She’s gonna be a Hall of Famer.” That was Cunningham’s bold proclamation for Paige Bueckers. By earning such praise from an opponent in her rookie season, the Dallas guard already looks destined for greatness.