The WNBA is trying to fix its officiating problem, but there have been clear growing pains through the first weekend of the season.
After several years of officiating complaints across the league, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert created a task force in the offseason that included players and coaches to try to address the issue. Several coaches said that a tighter whistle was expected coming out of the meetings.
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Less than a week in, there has already been a marked increase in the number of foul calls and free throw attempts. Through the first 11 games of the season, WNBA teams are averaging 22.3 fouls and 23.1 free throws per game—up from 17.5 and 18.2, respectively, last year. There have already been five instances where a team has had at least 25 free throw attempts this year, compared to 25 for all of last season.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White—who was involved in the task force—has been patient about the increased foul volume, saying the league needs to “overcorrect” from past years when the primary complaints were from missed calls.
“We have asked, in all of our offseason, have asked officials to call everything,” White said Saturday after the Fever’s loss to the Dallas Wings. “The challenge, and the question sometimes: Is it consistent? So that’d be the next growth phase and growth area. But this is what we need to clean up some of the stuff that we saw last year. So there is going to be frustration early, but it’s necessary.”
But Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who was handed the largest fine in league history after ranting about officiating during the 2025 playoffs, already called out officiating issues after the her team’s opener on Saturday, which featured a 42 fouls and 52 free throws.
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“What I’m confused about, being on the task force, we talked about unnecessary physicality. We didn’t say we want to call marginal fouls. We never brought that up,” said Reeve, who was also involved in the task force. “It takes a little bit of time for sure to calibrate, both them and us. … Obviously, we’ll continue to work with the league on getting right because we’re not the only team sitting here wondering why everything is a foul.”
New York Liberty star and union exec Breanna Stewart said it was “insane” that their game against the Washington Mystics on Sunday lasted for two hours and 41 minutes. (A WNBA game is scheduled to run for about two hours.)
“I know it’s going to take time, but there are calls that are being called that are unnecessary on both sides. And then there’s no flow,” Stewart said.
The complaints even started in the preseason. Dallas Wings rookie Azzi Fudd said she was “confused” after her first preseason game due to the number of calls.
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“I thought you could be physical in the W and anytime you touch someone, it’s a foul,” Fudd said. “So I’m not really sure whether to be physical, whether to—I don’t know. I’m still figuring that out.”
In the past, the WNBA has been quick to fine players and coaches for their complaints about officiating. But FOS reported that Fudd was not fined for her comments, and the league has yet to fine any player or coach for early-season officiating concerns.
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