The failure of the referees in the WNBA to call fouls, and the virtually non-existent oversight of the referees, is not only unfair but a danger to the players, the fans, and the sport itself.  While we understand the "physicality" of the sport, what we have witnessed since last year can hardly be called "physicality," and both the referees and WNBA management has largely turned a blind eye. However, the fans have not.

The flagrant fouls have turned off many fans, whether the WNBA wants to publicly admit it or not. We are not talking about legitimate hard fouls when a player is going for the ball. The lack of referee accountability has now evolved into open season on players, most notably Caitlin Clark. Let's not mince words here, it's been obvious since she joined the league that she is being targeted, and this has been exposed as true by some of the players themselves. It has carried over from her rookie season into her sophomore year with no let up, and it is largely due to the fact that the referees are both unmanaged and not held to account. There are countless videos that show what we mean. This one is from 2024. Here is one of the most egregious from the 2025 season. Even the folks who call the games are starting to call this out. 

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's comment during All-Star weekend that she has heard the complaints and "we're on it" is simply not enough. It sounds like more of a dismissal than anything else. Sue Blauch, who supposedly oversees WNBA referee performance is missing in action. Now the violence is starting to spread to other players in the league as well. Engelbert's assertion that those complaining are only the losing teams is an insult to the game and the players, and misses the point entirely.  As of today, the referee problem has become a national issue and it did not have to be this way. The WNBA must address this issue immediately. The referees should be employees of the WNBA, not freelancers, just as the NBA officials are employees of the NBA. Most of all, they must be held to account for their horrible performance.