Officiating issues are not new for the WNBA, but this season brought all-new chaos. And this time, the backlash has taken a different form. Last year, the officials were called out on allowing excessive physical play, especially after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier suffered an injury during the playoffs. But this time, the story is different, as now more fouls are being called, and players and coaches are not happy about it.

So, after last year’s backlash, the WNBA took a different approach. The league formed a committee of eight head coaches and general managers who worked with league officials and reviewed 40 games. Their aim was simple: to separate aggressive but legal basketball from rough and illegal play. Instead of changing the rules, they decided officials should enforce the existing rules more strictly. As a result, referees now pay closer attention to freedom of movement.

This new approach is clearly visible in the stats, as last year, teams averaged 32.4 personal fouls per game. This season, that number has increased to 41.8 fouls per game as per USA Today. Because more fouls are being called, teams are also taking about 7.5 more free throws per game, and games last longer due to more stoppages.

But this approach is creating more problems than ever. And once again, coaches and players are expressing their dissatisfaction with the officials. One such problem was clearly visible in the Los Angeles Sparks vs. New York Liberty game. With 2:28 left in the second quarter and the Liberty leading 47-38, Breanna Stewart missed a three-point shot. As players fought for the rebound, Leonie Fiebich grabbed the ball. While coming down, Fiebich’s left hand got tangled with Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, and the referee called a loose-ball foul on Plum.

That’s where the problem started, as Plum immediately disagreed with the call and spoke with the referee. As she believed that Fiebich was doing the same in the entire game and didn’t get a single foul. And she was clearly using her 6’4″ height advantage against Plum’s 5’8″. The foul became more problematic because it was Plum’s second personal foul. But despite all the struggles, the Sparks won with a 98-97 finish against Liberty.

Another example came during the third quarter of the Minnesota Lynx-Mystics game, when veteran Natasha Howard battled rookie Cotie McMahon for a rebound. After a missed three-point shot, both players became tangled while fighting for position under the basket. As they tried to separate, emotions rose, and Howard turned toward McMahon. Referees quickly stepped between them before the situation became worse.

The officials gave double fouls to both players. But the real problem came in when Minnesota’s coach, Cheryl Reeve, started arguing with the referees. Because of her aggression, the team got another technical foul. This was her third foul of the season, which gave Washington an advantage to take a free throw.

The league has completed five games this season in which a team attempted at least 25 free throws. But last year’s number might shock you, as there were only 25 such games during the entirety of the 2025 season.

Then comes the third game of the night. The Aces vs. Valkyries game faced a similar issue. During the second quarter, Tiffany Hayes ran into A’ja Wilson while she was setting a screen. Officials initially called a personal foul on Hayes, but after review, they decided that Wilson hit her in the chin with her elbow. Because of that, she got a technical foul, which Wilson clearly disagreed with. And if the officials don’t overturn the call, Wilson might also have to pay a $500 fine.

Technical fouls are also on the rise. During Indiana’s 114-106 overtime win against the Chicago Sky, Caitlin Clark got her third technical foul of the season. This happened because Clark argued with the referees over a missed foul. Later, Fever’s head coach, Stephanie White, argued over Clark’s foul and received one herself.

So, was the committee really trying to solve the problem or increase it drastically?

The Chicago Sky’s head coach expressed frustration

Just take the Chicago Sky’s 93-92 loss to the Dallas Wings on June 20, 2026. After the game, the Sky’s head coach, Tyler Marsh, criticised the officials and said how questionable foul calls have created problems for his team.

Marsh revealed that the Sky regularly send disputed plays and foul calls to the league for review and explanation. But they don’t really get any response for it.

Talking about the situation, he said, “We send all of them in. We send all of them in, we get left on read, we send them directly. Text messages directly. We don’t get responses.”

Marsh did not explain exactly who receives the messages and acts on them. Because of this unclear detail, one bigger issue comes up, which is: if officials are not responding to teams’ questions, is fair play even there?