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When the Connecticut Sun plays the Indiana Fever, the games are never short on action. Remember the time these two teams went against each other? Marina Mabrey and Jacy Sheldon going at it with Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham getting ejected? There were plenty of fireworks! And much of that was repeated tonight in front of the 19,000 present in the TD Garden. This one included Aliyah Boston and Tina Charles!

Indiana’s second win against the Sun this season was overshadowed by the fact that Caitlin Clark got hurt for the third time this season and left the court crying. But while this game didn’t have those fiery moments from the last game, one moment, in particular, caught the attention of fans online, and it’s definitely something the WNBA might want to keep an eye on moving forward.

The incident happened in the third quarter of the game. Fever star Aliyah Boston got tangled up with veteran big Tina Charles while battling for position down low. Boston ended up on the floor after Charles appeared to swing an arm during the scuffle. Now it’s hard to tell if Charles intentionally did it, but it did feel like there was some sort of intent behind it.

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Fans were quick to voice their frustration, and it’s hard to blame them. Why? Because the refs called it just a common foul. That’s right! Despite Boston hitting the deck, there was no flagrant, no technical foul given to Charles. As expected, social media erupted with questions and criticism. Let’s dive into some of those reactions.

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Fans react to Tina Charles- Aliyah Boston moment

Fans were clearly not happy with what had gone through. “How t- is this a common foul… The WNBA refs are an embarrassment…,” said a fan. Another joined in to say, “Tina Charles takes a swing at AB and it’s just a common foul, no review. WT-?!?”

 

What’s your perspective on:

Is WNBA officiating becoming a joke, or are fans overreacting to the Boston-Charles incident?

Have an interesting take?

Let’s be honest—this felt like more than just a common foul. The replay clearly shows Charles getting tangled up and then forcefully sending Boston to the floor. There seemed to be intent behind the contact, too, and that’s what has so many fans raising eyebrows. One fan even said, “Tina Charles has an aggression problem.” But to suggest Tina Charles has an aggression problem based on one heated moment isn’t fair to the 8x All-Star.

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After the game, you could even see the veteran taking time out to give tips to Boston about how to improve her game. There was no malice involved in the play, and it was just two competitors wanting to win the ball. There is nothing wrong with that. But that said, it was still a mistake, and the referees should have done a better job officiating.

“I swear I’ve seen so many clear flagrant fouls this season in the wnba and they don’t even look to review it. It’s a shame how bad the refs are in this league,” one fan said. And honestly, they’re not wrong. WNBA officiating has been really inconsistent throughout the season. Remember when Caitlin Clark was hit with a flagrant for what looked like a regular basketball foul on Angel Reese? It kicked off a season full of heated debates around the officials.

There were more such examples to give. This one also involves Caitlin Clark. When Marina Mabrey pushed Caitlin Clark to the ground to stand up for Jacy Sheldon, she wasn’t ejected either. She was also given a common foul, which was later upgraded to a flagrant foul. Another fan joined in to say, “Fire the refs.”

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While we don’t want to promote any such rash thinking, we do believe that the level of officiating has to improve if player safety is a priority for the W. Tonight’s incident involving Boston and Charles could have easily resulted in Boston getting injured. So, the officiating needs to be better. What are your thoughts about it? Let us know in the comments down below!

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"Is WNBA officiating becoming a joke, or are fans overreacting to the Boston-Charles incident?"

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