"Had her dancing out there": WNBA fans mock Sophie Cunningham as Paige Bueckers bamboozles Fever guard

The Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham had her hands full after being tasked with guarding No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers in Friday's marquee game against the Dallas Wings. Cunningham fared decently, but she had her low moments while trying to keep up with her counterpart. Bueckers' elite scoring ability and footwork gave her an advantage on multiple occasions.

One of the top highlights of the night was that Bueckers bamboozled Cunningham despite a good defensive position in the fourth quarter. Isolated on the right wing in the midrange area, Bueckers got to her spot with a little drive-by and hit the stepback, which got Cunningham in the air. The Wings star squeezed past her to score on her best move of the night.

Bueckers finished with a team-high 22 points on 7 of 14 shots and 8 of 8 from the free throw line. While Bueckers won the mini duel, Cunningham and the Fever won the bigger battle, recording an 88-78 victory.

Nevertheless, it didn't stop WNBA fans from lauding Paige Bueckers' impressive work against Sophie Cunningham.

Sportscaster Chris Williamson also joined the conversation, saying:

One fan mocked Cunningham, saying:

One fan said:

Another added:

One fan wrote:

Sophie Cunningham and Fever bothered Paige Bueckers and Wings with physicality

One of the key reasons behind the Indiana Fever coming out on top against the Dallas Wings was their physicality. The Fever held the Wings to only 78 points because of it. Apart from Paige Bueckers, no other player on Dallas scored more than 10 points.

Led by Sophie Cunningham at the point of attack, the Fever's defense suffocated the Wings with their physicality. Bueckers acknowledged it in the post-game media session, saying (via Wings reporter Dorothy J. Gentry):

"Yeah, it was a very physical game. I thought we only matched it starting in the fourth quarter. So, we can know that moving forward, (we have) to match that in all four quarters."

Meanwhile, Wings coach Chris Koclanes also hailed the Fever's toughness, saying that's a "great team to learn from." Koclanes said he was "proud" of the Wings' effort in the fourth quarter, but they need to bring it from the tipoff next time.

About the author

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton and Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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Edited by Arhaan Raje