The last moments of the Las Vegas Aces’ victory against the New York Liberty on Thursday seem to back the floating notion that refereeing in the WNBA has gone downhill lately. After the final whistle of what many are calling a controversy-laden game, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart didn’t hold back from calling out “an incorrect call” on the court.
During the July 30, 2026, game, Aces forward A’ja Wilson decided to attack the basket. She was trying to test Jonquel Jones’ defense to put the game out of Liberty’s reach with the shot clock already off and Las Vegas leading by only three points, 98-95. Wilson, on the other hand, appeared to have dropped the ball on her own.
Liberty would have had the ball and an opportunity to tie the game. Perhaps believing that Jones had snatched the ball from Wilson, the referees chose to return it to the Aces instead. Given that the ball obviously left Wilson’s hands last, this would not have been an issue had the Liberty still had a challenge remaining. Unfortunately, Liberty could no longer mount a challenge, and the Aces regained possession. Jackie Young essentially sealed the game by making two free throws after the Liberty were forced to purposefully foul on the next possession.
As predicted, Stewart felt the officials bungled that call, depriving New York of an opportunity to tie the game. She went so far as to say that she thinks Wilson was aware that the officials had made a mistake since the Aces star was even getting ready to play defense.
“Yeah, I did (think the call was incorrect). So did A’ja. She was walking back to half court,” Stewart said, via Liberty beat reporter Myles Ehrlich.
The Liberty had already used their one available coach’s challenge earlier in the game. With no more challenges, the disputed possession call could not be submitted for replay review. The WNBA does not punish referees for bad calls, creating an accountability gap that players dislike.
A Season-Long WNBA Officiating Crisis: Liberty Latest Victim
Throughout the 2026 season, “blatant errors and missed calls” have been mentioned as major problems by WNBA coaches and general managers. Aces coach Becky Hammon, whose team benefited on Thursday, had previously criticized WNBA officials in June 2026 regarding this issue.
“A’ja Wilson shoots one free throw. Chennedy Carter, zero; Jackie Young, zero. I’m f——— tired of that b———,” Hammon said.
One of the most direct criticisms of officiating this season came from none other than Liberty guard Natasha Cloud.
“I feel like (refs are) having too much f—— impact on the game,” Cloud noted.
Caitlin Clark has also asked for structural reform. She said that teams submit postgame footage “and nothing changes.”
The Indiana Fever star guard said, “It’s kind of been a discussion for three years now, and I think we really need to do a better job protecting the people in this league.”
Meanwhile, Fever coach Stephanie White was fined $15,000 for her comments critical of the officials. Hammon and another coach each received a $1,000 fine.
Recently, the WNBA announced it would make another serious push to address its long-standing officiating problems. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated at a news conference ahead of the All-Star Game that the league would begin using a centralized replay center in 2027.
“This is one of the most significant investments we’ve ever made in our basketball operations. These investments of tens of millions of dollars will help bring greater consistency, efficiency, and transparency to our initiating process while continuing to improve the quality of the game,” Engelbert revealed.
For almost as long as the WNBA has existed, officiating has been a significant problem. However, in recent years, as the league’s popularity has grown, this problem has worsened. In response to the allegations, Engelbert assembled an officiating panel this offseason, which included Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello, and Aces coach Hammon. That initiative has resulted in more fouls this season.
The July 31 call, unreviewable in real time, underscores the need for a replay center before 2027.
