WNBA fans are having a field day after Angel Reese‘s praise for FIBA officiating raised eyebrows.
Angel Reese has been walking a tightrope with the league office after picking up seven technical fouls this season, coming dangerously close to an automatic suspension before an eighth tech was mercifully rescinded on appeal.
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But her constant clashes with whistle-happy refs are just a symptom of a much bigger headache.
The overwhelming feeling across the WNBA right now is pure frustration with the officiating. Players, coaches, and fans are fed up with the lack of consistency, where hard contact is ignored on one end and ticky-tack fouls get called on the other. It’s an ongoing debate that keeps boiling over week after week.
Angel Reese made WNBA history in Atlanta’s blowout win over Connecticut, becoming the fastest player ever to drop 30 points and 10 rebounds in a single game.
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However, it wasn’t just her performance that drew attention, as Reese praised the officiating of FIBA officials during the World Cup in her Atlanta Dream postgame interview.
She said: “That was my first experience in this environment where we could really play physical. We’re so much more free. I love these FIBA refs. They were incredible oh my god, it was crazy.”
As you can imagine, supporters went crazy online, suggesting that the WNBA and officials won’t take too kindly to her comments.
One fan suggested a backlash from the WNBA referees: “They’re gonna give her that 8th T again.”
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“They’re calling a foul on her first thing on Saturday.” Another fan said.
Another pointed towards her next game: “She bout to be in foul trouble in the first half of her next game.”
“They bout run them pockets.” This supporter even suggested a potential fine.
The feeling was mutual: “Oh yeah, they’re giving her a tech in the first 5 mins of the game Saturday.”
The Atlanta Dream return home to State Farm Arena to host the Chicago Sky on Saturday, September 19 at 7:00 PM ET.
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