Lisa Leslie came out with strong words for everyone involved in the WNBA's latest problems: refs are part of the conversation and the solution, but so are the players.
While speaking on CBS Sports today, Leslie touched on the last game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever, as well as what happened between Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark. The latter suffered a back injury after she and Thomas became tangled up in the second quarter; Thomas was hit with a flagrant foul and a one-game suspension the next day.
Leslie said the moment "was a bit much" and called on Thomas, Clark, and all of the players in the WNBA to be better. "I think overall, the league has got to do better, the officials have got to do better. But also players! Players have to clean it up," she said. Leslie added that she and her colleagues "used to play in a way that you protected one another."
While it's fair to note that Leslie may not be remembering every part of her own career (the WNBA has always been a physical league, and injuries have always been part of the game) as accurately as possible, her larger point is a good one. A lot of the problems in the league definitely spawn from officiating issues, whether that's missed calls or bad calls — but players also have a responsibility in terms of how the game proceeds.
Leslie also noted that the Mercury's head coach Nate Tibbets was right when he said consistency in calling needs to be implemented. That's something the Fever's head coach Stephanie White has also called for this season. White was part of a task force that was assembled during the offseason to mitigate officiating problems and discrepencies between calls, a process that could ultimately end up taking longer than players, coaches, and team owners hope.
Caitin Clark and Alyssa Thomas both missed games Saturday
Clark and Thomas both missed their team's respective games Saturday; Thomas was forced to sit out while the Mercury played the Toronto Tempo (a game they won 89-80), and Clark will miss the Fever's game against the Los Angeles Sparks Friday evening (the Sparks will also play without Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink, who are both injured). The Fever have not offered a timeline for Clark's return; Thomas should be available for the Mercury's next game against the Storm on July 2.
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