07/16/26 11:57:00
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07/16 11:40 CDT More whistles, more points: How the WNBA's new officiating
focus is reshaping games
More whistles, more points: How the WNBA's new officiating focus is reshaping
games
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Cheryl Reeve has seen a lot of improvements in officiating
this season and it's helped the WNBA have record offensive numbers so far
through the first half of the season.
There's still areas that need to be worked on, but it will take more than 20
games for everything to be cleaned up.
"We've seen great improvements on the very things that were broken," the
Minnesota Lynx coach said. "There was a level of impeding players and trying to
cut off a screen. We don't want the unnecessary physicality."
The league put together a task force, which Reeve is on, in the offseason to
help clean up some of the physicality in the game. The main point of emphasis
was to help players' freedom of movement. Despite some hiccups early on, it has
led to more offense as teams are averaging around 86 points a game --- the
highest ever. They are shooting nearly 45% from the field --- also the best in
league history.
So far this season there have been roughly 4 1/2 more fouls called per game
with 75% of them being non-shooting fouls.
"I think it's fair for our coaches and players to be able to say we're happy
and we think positive things are taking place, but still I disagree with the
calls that are affecting our team tonight," Monty McCutchen, who is the head of
WNBA officials, told The Associated Press.
"I want coaches to remain advocates for their teams," McCutchen added. "We have
gotten positive feedback that we're on the right track. we'll continue to work
through specifics when we fail that task and we'll continue to check in with
the officiating task force to make sure that we're aligned with the
expectations."
By no means are things perfect. Coaches and players have complained of
inconsistencies between officiating crews. What might be called a foul in one
half might not be deemed a foul at another point in the game. Obvious fouls are
getting missed too.
"It's never going to be perfect, but we're trending in the right direction,"
Reeve said. "We've put resources into this."
Reeve recalled a play that she asked to be reviewed during her team's game
against Dallas. The officials looked at the play and upgraded it to a flagrant.
The league is constantly reviewing plays. Alyssa Thomas' punch to the throat of
Caitlin Clark that was upgraded to a Flagrant-2 was one of four that the league
reviewed that night and was the only one upgraded.
Common fouls aren't the only thing on the rise. Both technical fouls and
flagrant fouls are up too. There have been 124 technicals assessed this season
(four more were rescinded). Last year there were 171 total. There have been 44
flagrants called this season as compared to 51 all of last year.
"I think they are doing a better job at reviewing hostile acts," Reeve said.
"We didn't ask for that, but if that's what it takes to clean it up (it's worth
it)."
Not everyone is a fan of all the reviews. Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said
after a loss to Indiana last week that there were too many of them.
"It's exhausting when they go to the review every time. I mean, these games are
getting longer and longer. It's encouraging more drama," she said. "So, it's
like somebody gets hit, and it's like take them to the hospital. And they jump
up, and they're fine. So I actually think it's not just today. It's across the
league. There's so many reviews."
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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