Last year, almost everybody blasted the officials, including Angel Reese. A year, a new CBA, and a variety of officiating changes later, little has changed for Reese. According to the Dream coach, she continues to be officiated to “different standards.” Now, the issue has been highlighted again. This time by the fans after a contentious play with rookie Lauren Betts in Reese’s game against the Mystics. 

Angel Reese was battling in the paint against the rookie after Allisha Gray shot from downtown. As they went head-to-head, Betts’ hand swept over Reese as she tried to box the Atlanta Dream star. Yet the controversial call saw Reese penalized despite Betts initiating contact with her hand, leaving the entire Dream camp confused and enraged.

“The officiating is horrendous. Some of the things I see out there are just borderline bizarre, like some of the overturned calls or some of the calls they make,” coach Karl Smesko said after Dream lost the game 81-76.

“Some changes need to happen somewhere because the players are too good to get some of the calls they’re receiving right now. That’s Angel, and not just Angel; that’s our whole team,” he added.

This was far from the only controversial play in the paint, as Reese constantly complained to the referees regarding uncalled fouls on her.

In the first quarter, Reese received the ball in the paint while being defended by Michaela Onyewere and Shakira Austin. She lost her balance in the physical battle and immediately appealed for a foul with expansive hand gestures.

And the community isn’t too happy as well. The foul called on Reese with Lauren Betts has become the centerpiece of the fans’ protest against the refereeing standard for Reese.

Fans questioned the officiating and the WNBA

“Calling this as a foul on Angel Reese is why people say there is an agenda against her in the WNBA. A complete joke. #wnba,” wrote a fan. “This was called a foul on Angel???? But when we say the refs are targeting her we the crazy ones,” pitched in another. Reese often does the dirty work in the paint. She gets into tough situations and tries to use her physicality against her opponents. 

Reese herself reposted her former coach Gary Redus’ post. “I get that @Reese10Angel is strong and plays a physical brand of basketball, but the same protection that some are calling for others needs to be afforded to her too!!” But that has been the nature of physical players across leagues. They are held to different standards by the referees.

“The greatest rebounder in wnba history isn’t allowed to rebound. truly an embarrassing product,” wrote another fan. “Angel has only been to the FT line once while they sit there and beat her up in the paint it’s nasty what the @WNBA is doing to her,” added another.

“How can the WNBA make it a point to clean up physical play yet allow Angel Reese to literally get physically beat up on a nightly basis?” wrote another fan. “I’m sick of it cause clearly there is an agenda against her, and it’s beyond pathetic.”

The officiating continues to be the point of conversation despite the league’s efforts, and all the players, the coaches, and the fans are asking for is consistency.