COLLEGE PARK, GA ― The WNBA’s new, tighter officiating was on center stage during Sunday’s Phoenix Mercury (2-5) and Atlanta Dream (4-1) matchup.
There were 35 total fouls called during Atlanta’s 82-80 win on May 24. Dream guard Rhyne Howard picked up three fouls in the first quarter. Mercury forward Natasha Mack wasn’t far behind, racking up three fouls in the first half. Eight players had three or more fouls during the matchup. If that wasn’t enough, there were also two flagrant fouls and three technicals between both teams.
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All three technicals were from frustrated players who appeared to feel some calls were too stringent. The two flagrant calls were handed down within a stunning 13 seconds of one another, prompting a chorus of boos to rain down on the crowd at Gateway Center Arena. Both fouls, one on Dream forward Angel Reese, were called common offenses on the floor and then upgraded to Flagrant 1 after review. Following the second flagrant, fans had seen enough. “Ref, you suck!” the crowd chanted in fervent disappointment.
“We practice a lot on controlling our emotions. I would probably give us a ‘C’ today. We didn’t do a great job. We could have crashed out a little bit more,” Reese said, smiling postgame. “We’re just continuing trying to control what we can control. We emphasize a lot on that … We’re gonna clean that up going into (our game on) Tuesday.”
More: Angel Reese’s Atlanta Dream debut shows growth and emerging late-game poise
Reese acknowledged that the Dream gave Phoenix points that they shouldn’t have with the two technicals and the flagrants, but credited Atlanta’s veteran leadership for holding the team together down the stretch of the game. Atlanta went on a 15-5 run in the fourth quarter to bring the team within two points of what was once a 15-point lead for the Mercury.
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The Dream hit the gas with some timely defense and scoring with just over a minute remaining in regulation, putting just enough room in front of them to secure the victory. However, there were three fouls called within the final 15 seconds that made an already tense game even tighter. Atlanta escaped with a razor-thin two-point victory.
“I’m an easy grader. I’ll give us an A because we regrouped and found a way to win. Obviously, we don’t wanna give away points,” Dream head coach Karl Smesko said. “We’re competing. We do have to be able to manage our emotions so that we don’t give away any points at the line or make a hole any deeper.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel Reese, Dream beat Mercury in game with 35 total foul calls
