We are more than halfway through the 2026 WNBA season, and it sure seems like complaints and concerns about how games are officiated and fouls are called aren't getting any better. Becky Hammon, former WNBA player and head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, made her opinion on the matter abundantly clear this weekend.
(Before we go further, let's note: this year's season doesn't end until mid-September, but there is a 17-day break in August as players go to the FIBA World Cup in Berlin, Germany.)
The Aces hosted the Indiana Fever this weekend, a game the league's defending champions lost 109-75. That's the kind of loss that hurts no matter how you play and how you feel, and it's possible that it influenced Hammon's mood before she spoke about officiating later that night. A fired up Hammon took referees to task for what she felt like were far too many foul call reviews, and there were a few clear examples of what she meant.
One such moment happened when Chelsea Gray and Caitlin Clark made contact. Clark was down on the ground for quite some time after the fact, and asked the referees to call Gray for the foul. They ended up reviewing for a possible flagrant foul against Gray, but in the end, Clark's foul remained, and Gray wasn't called at all. The same game period included several more foul call reviews, something Hammon described as "exhausting."
"I mean, these games are getting longer and longer. It's encouraging more drama," Hammon told reporters after the game. "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."
Fouls and officiating have been a big topic all season
The WNBA took steps to address complaints about how fouls were being called ahead of the 2026 season, but it's clear that there's still plenty of work that needs to be done. Hammon is not alone in her complaints; many players and coaches have lodged similar complaints this year. The hope was that the officiating would improve, but it's becoming clear that there might not be a way to make sure everyone in the game is happy.
And, to be fair, that's not even really the goal. All teams and coaches are asking for is consistency, and hopefully the league will get there.
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