Napheesa Collier has never been one to mince words, and this time was no different. Fed up with what she sees as a lack of progress, the WNBPA vice president directed her fire at the league office. “But it’s clear there’s no intention of accepting there’s a problem,” Collier said of the officiating. She had tried to raise those concerns directly with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, but nothing changed. “The league has made it clear, it isn’t about innovation. It isn’t about collaboration. It’s about control and power.” Collier’s words didn’t echo in silence. They struck a chord with Sophie Cunningham, who has never shied away from speaking her mind either.

If there’s been one constant theme all season, it’s been officiating. From Cheryl Reeve getting hit with a record $15,000 fine for her fiery comments, to Stephanie White racking up penalties of her own after venting out frustration against them, the message has been the same — coaches and players are fed up. Yes, Collier’s two-page prepared statement put the entire league on notice. And if anything, it feels like this fight is only just getting started.

Cunningham, too, raised the same concerns. “I think there is room for improvement to change the criteria when the whole league is asking for it. But when the leadership isn’t doing anything about it, why? Why? And so I think there’s just frustration. The game’s not fun to watch because everyone’s just trying to kill each other. Cause that’s how you’re going to survive. Otherwise, you get injured. I don’t know. It just sucks. Our game is, is changing, and yeah, we want it to be physical, but at the same time, like you still want to watch good basketball. And when, when they can’t get that under control, it’s not fun,” she said in an interview, making it clear that even if Cathy Engelbert doesn’t see it, players across the league believe change is overdue.

No one knows the cost of poor officiating better than Sophie Cunningham. In the very game where she tore her MCL, it was clear from the jump that she was being targeted by the Sun. Everyone remembers that early tussle with Leila Lacan on just the second possession, which bizarrely ended with Cunningham picking up a technical. From there, the officials failed to keep things under control — and in the end, it wasn’t just a missed call. It cost Cunningham her entire season.

The Fever have faced their share of questionable calls this season, but Sophie Cunningham has become the league’s favorite target — every time she spoke out against the WNBA, a fine seemed to follow. Caitlin Clark hasn’t been spared either; even in her short 13-game sophomore campaign, she dealt with bad calls, including that infamous clash with Marina Mabrey and Jacy Sheldon, where the refs handed out only technicals. The message is clear: officiating needs serious improvement, but from the players’ perspective, little has changed.

But contrary to popular belief, the WNBA has been actively working to address its officiating issues.

Cathy Engelbert addresses complaints from Sophie Cunningham and Co.

Before Collier’s statement, which rocked the entire community, the commissioner had already addressed the issue of officiating on the In Case You Missed It podcast with Khristina Williams. “I think every year, everybody complains about officiating, by the way, in every sport. But that means people care. They care so much. And we hear the concerns from the ecosystem in our league, whether it’s fans, players, or coaches. We take it seriously. We understand there’s frustration. Our game is constantly evolving. We just talked about the speed, talent, and physicality, and we recognize that as leagues change and rules change and players get bigger and stronger and faster and officiating needs to change,” Engelbert said.

The challenge for Cathy Engelbert and her team is that the WNBA trains its referees, only for the NBA to scoop them up, leaving the women’s game with fewer seasoned officials. In the WNBA, it’s rare to see referees with NBA experience, and the difference in quality becomes noticeable. Most veteran refs are already in the NBA, and while even the NBA has its share of questionable calls, the inconsistency in the WNBA is far more apparent.

Regardless, Cathy Engelbert told The Washington Post that she’s committed to improving the product through better officiating, leveraging technology. She confirmed that the WNBA is exploring tools like a replay center and other tech to support officials, emphasizing that, at the end of the day, referees are human — and technology can help them do their jobs more accurately.

Now, clearly, the players don’t see it that way — and it’s hard to argue. Take what happened to Napheesa Collier in the semifinals: during the incident with Alyssa Thomas that drew no calls in the Lynx’s favor, she suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her ankle and a shin muscle, according to ESPN. The message is clear: more work needs to be done, or Cathy Engelbert’s future could remain a big question mark.

What’s your take? Will the WNBA fix these officiating issues, or is it still business as usual for them? Let us know in the comments below!