Following the New York Liberty's 88-77 loss to the Dallas Wings on Tuesday, players voiced concerns about the consistency of officiating in the WNBA. While head coach Chris DeMarco offered a brief, seemingly sarcastic comment that the referees "were awesome," players like Sabrina Ionescu elaborated on the challenges faced.
The Liberty struggled offensively, particularly in the second quarter where they were outscored 29-11, shooting just 2-for-15 from the field and 0-for-5 from three-point range during that stretch. They trailed by 16 points at halftime and, despite multiple attempts to close the gap in the second half, were unable to regain the lead.
One contentious moment involved Jessica Shepard, who appeared to elbow Rebecca Allen in the nose near the baseline as the ball went out of bounds. The Wings retained possession, and Allen left the game with what appeared to be a nose injury. "All everyone's asking for is consistency one way or another, whether they're going to call it, whether they're not," Ionescu said. "You got to call it evenly on both sides, and I think tonight you were kind of able to see how difficult it is when things are being called one way... and then a different way the other way."
Ionescu also touched on the issue of flopping, stating it has become more prevalent than ever. She suggested that players who do not exaggerate contact may not be rewarded, which she believes is a difficult dynamic for maintaining a high level of play without altering their approach due to officiating.
Despite these frustrations, Ionescu acknowledged that officiating was not the sole reason for the loss. "We're never going to point the finger at it, at it being the refs or one thing or another," she said. "Because obviously that's not something that we can control, but it's something that we know is going to improve."