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Napheesa Collier, others call out WNBA officiating
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- Napheesa Collier, others call out WNBA officiating
The post Napheesa Collier, others call out WNBA officiating appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Minnesota Lynx forward and WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier is among several WNBA voices speaking out about what they see as growing inconsistency in league officiating, calling the issue "worse" than in past seasons.
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"I don't think it's consistent; I think every player would say that," Collier said, as reported by Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post. "I think it's getting worse. I'm just going to be really honest about it. It's a conversation that I've tried to have with (Commissioner Cathy Engelbert) before, with a lot of people. It's something that we have to get better at. We have so many new eyes on us, and consistency is the biggest thing."
Officiating has become a central point of contention this season, with several incidents highlighting frustrations among coaches and players. The most notable came during a June 17 matchup between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun , where a hard foul on Caitlin Clark escalated into multiple ejections and later upgraded penalties.
Fever head coach Stephanie White criticized the officiating after that game.
"When the officials don't get control of the ballgame … this is what happens," she said. "You've got competitive women, who are the best in the world… When you allow them to play physical and you allow these things to happen, they're going to compete."
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Mystics center Stefanie Dolson cited ongoing unpredictability.
"I don't care if you're going to call a lot… but then every ref should be calling the same ones," she said. "Why do we have to, every game, feel like we have to change the way we're playing based on who's reffing?"
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve pointed to long-standing concerns.
"There's more eyes on the game and people are just now seeing it more regularly, what we've been saying for years," she said. "Until the league admits they have a problem, nothing's changing."
The league has defended its process, citing evaluations and training. Engelbert acknowledged that "there's always room for growth," and NBA officiating executive Monty McCutchen emphasized development across a younger referee pool.
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But for Mystics coach Sydney Johnson, the frustration remains: "I do think the inconsistency is what kind of really gets to us."
Related: DeWanna Bonner's cryptic message hints at reason for Fever breakup
Related: Week 5 WNBA power rankings: Storm surge as Commissioner's Cup comes to a close
