Connecticut–Indy brawl? Check. Caitlin Clark in the officiating crosshairs? Check. Who’s next? Looks like Paige Bueckers just stepped into the WNBA’s hottest seat. On June 18, Connecticut Sun head coach Rachid Meazzanie called out the “favorable whistle” for Indiana. But irony played its card fast—because three days later, Connecticut’s own Bueckers got whistled for her first-ever technical in the very state she led to an NCAA title.

The moment unfolded late in the second quarter. With 3:14 left on the clock and the Wings clinging to a 34–32 lead, Bueckers sank an 11-foot jumper off a Li Yueru assist. The basket gave Dallas the edge, but Bueckers wanted more. She turned toward referee Charles Watson, clapped in frustration, and said, “And one,” hoping for a foul call. Instead, Watson hit her with a tech—her first in the league.

The broadcast crew didn’t hold back. “Bueckers wanted a foul call, and she just got teed up,” one said. “Well, that is not a welcome home present,” the other added. And as Bueckers pleaded her case—“I was just clapping”—the warning came clear: “Don’t get another one.”  “I Talk Hoops” posted it on X simply: “Paige Bueckers has received the first technical foul of her career.” It was a moment that ignited social backlash against the officiating crew, particularly because it happened in Uncasville, in front of 8,910 fans, many of whom had cheered her through her UConn days.

This wasn’t just about emotions. This was about context. Bueckers came into the game averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. She’d just helped Dallas snap a seven-game skid. And she wasn’t done: Bueckers dropped 21 points and 7 assists that night, leading the Wings to a gritty 86–83 win over the Sun; Dallas’ first back-to-back wins of the season.

The game itself was a slugfest: 12 lead changes, 10 ties, and a furious fourth quarter. While Dallas shot just 36% in the second half, they owned the glass (42-29), led in assists (23-19), and drew 26 fouls, five more than they committed. They converted 24-of-30 free throws to ice the game. But the postgame talk wasn’t about the box score. It was about a whistle. A clap. A rookie. And a ref who shut the door instead of opening the dialogue. And the internet didn’t hold back 

Fans react to Paige Bueckers’ first-ever tech in the WNBA

One fan said, “How is that a technical? I hope they rescind it because that was soft.”

In a league that prides itself on physicality, Paige Bueckers getting a tech just for clapping and saying “And one” once felt almost laughable. She didn’t crowd the ref. Didn’t curse. Just voiced frustration—and got slapped with a whistle.

Another fan added, “The whole arena was booing this ref no. 6, which he totally deserved it.”

And that’s the thing. Charles Watson didn’t just get heat online—he got booed by all 8,910 fans in Mohegan Sun Arena. That’s a Connecticut home crowd siding with a Dallas rookie. If that doesn’t speak volumes about how shaky the call was, nothing will.

“Yet others can… never mind I forgot ‘They can do whatever they want!'” one fan said, summing up the inconsistency.

And sure, some get away with it—until they don’t. Just ask Marina Mabrey, who shoved Caitlin Clark and got away with a technical. But a day later, the internet had spoken. As Annie Costabile reported, “WNBA confirmed Marina Mabrey’s technical has been upgraded to a flagrant 2 which comes with a fine.”

Another fan chimed in, “I wish her first tech was at least harder like these refs are weak asf??????”

Not weak, just wildly inconsistent. One night, eye pokes and shoulder checks go unnoticed. Next, a simple clap draws a tech. Traveling gets ignored, but showing emotion? That’ll cost you. Still, Dallas walked away with the win, and at 3–11, they’re starting to prove the doubters wrong.

And maybe the most accurate summary came from a simple line: “That’s an insane call.”

It was. And that’s why no one in Uncasville held back. The boos poured in instantly. Even with 12 lead changes and 10 ties in a thriller of a game, that one tech left a sour note on a classic showdown.