Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White sharply criticized WNBA officiating following her team’s narrow 81-80 loss to the Dallas Wings on Tuesday, calling All-Star center Aliyah Boston the “worst officiated post player in the league.”
White’s comments came after a frustrating defeat in which the Fever mounted a furious late-game rally, erasing a 17-point deficit in the final seven minutes. Their comeback effort fell short when Kelsey Mitchell’s potential game-winning shot at the buzzer missed. The loss, critical for playoff positioning, dropped the Fever to sixth place in the league standings with an 18-15 record.
While White initially faulted her team’s “uncharacteristic” play and a depleted roster missing key players like Caitlin Clark, she quickly directed her frustration toward the referees.
“It was a physical game. I think there’s a double standard in how people get their calls,” White said. “I think Kelsey Mitchell, No. 1, is held or chucked on every freaking possession and never gets a call off the ball. I think Aliyah Boston is the worst officiated post player in the league. She never gets a call.”
White called for more consistency from the officials. “If it’s gonna be physical and you’re gonna allow some [physicality], then allow both teams to be physical,” she added. “If you’re gonna call the holds and you’re gonna call the chucks, then call it both ways.”
Despite her complaints, official stats from the game show the Fever attempted more free throws (19 to 15) and were called for fewer fouls (17 to 19) than the Wings.
This is the latest in a series of public critiques of officiating from White this season. She was fined for similar comments in May and has repeatedly voiced concerns about the level of physicality allowed, particularly against Clark. In June, White argued that the officiating has not evolved with the players’ increasing speed and athleticism.
“Everybody’s getting better, except the officials,” White stated previously. “So we gotta find a way to remedy it.”
Season-long statistics lend some support to White’s argument. The Fever rank second in the WNBA in both points in the paint (39.2) and shots within five feet of the basket (25.9) but are only eighth in free-throw attempts per game (18.5). Boston herself attempts the fourth-most shots within five feet in the league but ranks just 26th in free-throw attempts per game.
Source link
