Becky Hammon had reached her breaking point. Frustrated by the inconsistencies in WNBA officiating, the Las Vegas Aces head coach voiced her outrage after A’ja Wilson suffered a concussion during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Hammon didn’t hold back, publicly calling out the league.
Hammon isn’t alone-many analysts have highlighted the WNBA’s officiating problems. “The problem that a lot of us have with the referees is it’s either very physical and they are calling everything or they’re missing calls,”Rachel DeMita recently explained.
“There seems to be inconsistencies in how the referees are calling certain games,” DeMita added, citing a growing list of injured stars-including Wilson, Paige Bueckers, Rickea Jackson, Tiffany Hayes, and Shakira Austin. Hammon, however, refuses to stay silent.
Hammon vs. WNBA officiating
Following the Aces’ 76-70 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, with Wilson in concussion protocol since the Sparks game, Hammon unleashed her frustration. “A’ja took a huge shot, and I believe it should have been a flagrant two-an automatic ejection,” she declared.
Dearica Hamby’s hit left the Aces without their star, and Hammon isn’t backing down. “A wind-up elbow or anything similar-what exactly qualifies as a flagrant two? It seems like the only way to get one is to throw and land a punch,” she argued.
She criticized how anything short of a direct punch is downgraded to a flagrant one. “I feel like some of these are dangerous plays and have to be looked at. I think, you know, my team’s going through it, but other teams have [also] had concussions.” she pointed out.
Inconsistency in officiating sparks debate
Hammon and DeMita’s concerns are echoed by other analysts, who highlight controversial rulings. Take Caitlin Clark’s grab on Angel Reese in the Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky game-the foul was ruled a flagrant one after review, but debate continues over whether the penalty was warranted.
Meanwhile, Brittney Griner’s elbow to Aliyah Boston’s throat on June 12 was dismissed as a common foul, without even a review. Contrast that with a harsh preseason foul by Griner against rookie Sonia Citron, which was called flagrant one
Such inconsistencies fuel frustration among coaches, analysts, and fans alike. If the WNBA doesn’t address its officiating woes, it risks losing the trust-and the viewership-of its growing audience.
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