For the 2026 season, the WNBA set up an officiating task force for accountability and to regulate the overly physical nature of fouls. In a move to get a better perspective, they even opened a special texting service where head coaches can share their views on the officiating after each game. However, The Athletic’s Annie Costabile has revealed that the service hasn’t made much of a difference.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“There’s also a texting service that all head coaches are prompted to engage with and give feedback on the three officials after every game,” Costabile said during the No Offseason podcast. “So, that’s another form of feedback that’s provided to the officials. But what’s frustrating, or what I heard was frustrating from sources, is that they’re doing this, but what’s the point?”
“Because they’re not seeing changes made to the game. That speaks to a larger problem in the sense of where resources are being doled out to improve training, to improve the overall standard of officiating. Because these coaches and these GMs can engage with these resources, but if they don’t see a change occurring game to game, it feels like a waste of time.”
Besides the texting service, Costabile explained that GMs and coaches also have the numbers of the WNBA officiating leaders whom they can directly text any time they want to raise flags.
Things started on the right path as well. In the opening ten days, refs called 44 fouls per game, up from 38.7 fouls per game during the same period in 2025. Unfortunately, major inconsistencies cropped up as the season progressed. Footage from the June 24 game clearly showed Thomas hitting Clark on her throat, but not even a personal foul was called during the game. It took a separate review to upgrade it to a flagrant foul 2.
Days after this incident, Clark called for better officiating. “Our reffing just needs to do better. The league’s just got to do better protecting our players in that regard,” the Indiana guard told reporters last Friday.
Even beyond the Clark incident, the WNBA’s officiating this season has included several other unfair calls. Head coaches like Tyler Marsh, Becky Hammon, and others have also called out officiating inconsistencies.
The league and officiating leadership can tap into GMs’ and coaches’ complaints. However, it needs to be put into action on the court as well, and that’s where the disconnect has emerged.