Physicality in the WNBA has always been a heated topic. Just last year, players openly complained that referees allowed too much contact and let excessive physicality slide. However, this season, the frustration has changed as players now feel that referees are interrupting games with too many whistles. According to Aliyah Boston, the league may still be trying to figure out the right balance between the two.

“Last year, it was super physical, teams got away with a lot of pushing and shoving, and I can see why that’s a big issue,” she explained in a recent episode of Post Moves. “Obviously, right now, it’s kind of choppy because some people feel like there’s so many whistles in such a short period of time that no one gets a flow. But I think everyone will understand, like this is how they’re calling it, and then we’re just going to play a lot cleaner basketball.”

Aliyah Boston’s comments came only days after Breanna Stewart publicly criticized the officiating after the Liberty’s game against the Mystics. That matchup featured 58 total fouls, making the game 2 hours and 41 minutes long. By the end, two Liberty players fouled out before they finally escaped with a 98-93 victory.

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But what makes the entire situation interesting is that Stewart herself defended the league’s physicality not too long ago. Back in 2024, she argued that toughness was simply part of competing in the WNBA.

Even Napheesa Collier admitted that she believes the WNBA may have crossed the line with its current level of physicality.

“I do feel like the game is too physical right now,” Collier said. “We’ve been compared to the NBA of the 80s, just our physicality. And I do think that hinders the players.”

The good news for players is that the WNBA has already begun working toward a solution.

Aliyah Boston and Other Players May Already Be Getting What They Asked For

Last month, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert revealed that the league spent the offseason working closely with referees to improve foul consistency and create clearer standards heading into the 2026 season.

And while the season is still in its early stages, reactions from players suggest those adjustments are already noticeable.

Caitlin Clark praised the officials’ handling of the game after the Indiana Fever faced the Dallas Wings in the preseason. Her nod means a lot, especially since Clark has been on the receiving end of physicality since her rookie season.

“I thought the refs did a really good job tonight, actually,” Clark said. “That’s kind of been their focus going into this season. I know there’s a committee of people that really wanted them to start calling things.”

It will take a while to see whether they have fully solved this issue. But if they can eventually strike a better balance between physical defense and offensive freedom, this may simply be an awkward adjustment period before the league finally finds the middle ground players have been asking for.