The Dallas Wings’ loss Sunday to the Chicago Sky featured two ejections and a fight during a chippy WNBA weekend, one which has resulted in one suspension and seven fines for players.
Wings star Arike Ogunbowale, one of the players ejected Sunday, gave voice afterward to a question that has echoed across the league this season: What is going on with the referees?
Ogunbowale received her second ejection of the season for making unnecessary contact with an official with 52 seconds left in the game. The 26-year-old guard’s shoulder knocked against the referee’s shoulder, which led to the technical foul and ejection.
“[The referee] was looking for something. I just watched it back a million times,” Ogunbowale said after the game. “I don’t know what’s going on this year with the refs but that was the worst call I’ve ever seen in my life.”
While Ogunbowale avoided a suspension, she did receive a fine for her contact with the official and for her postgame comments. Sky forward Ruthy Hebard received a one-game suspension and a fine for leaving the bench area during an on-court altercation earlier in the game, and her teammate Courtney Williams received a fine for doing the same.
The WNBA also handed out punishments for an altercation during Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics. Los Angeles’ Layshia Clarendon and Washington’s Ariel Atkins, Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin all received fines.
Mystics players Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud both have expressed frustration with WNBA officiating this season. In May, Delle Donne criticized the referees for treating her “like a rookie with calls.” In July, Cloud had even harsher words for the referees.
“I don’t care what pipeline refs we have coming through. I don’t care,” she said. “We have to do our job every single night. You need to do yours. This is bull—t. This is f–king bull–t.”
In June, Atlanta Dream coach Tanisha Wright questioned the officiating in one of her team’s games, particularly a flagrant-one call on New York Liberty guard Stefanie Dolson that Wright believes warranted a flagrant-two and an ejection.
“We’re expected to play at a high level every single night… The officials need to be able to rise to that same occasion. They should be held to that same standard,” Wright said. “They’re going to fine me for this, but I’m challenging them to raise their standards… Officiating needs to get better, period.”
Also in June, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd — after scoring a career-high 41 points — took time to call out officiating issues.
“Protect the players,” Loyd said. “It’s not just us. Every single team has said something about the refs. That tells you that something is going wrong in that department. You expect high-level players, we expect high-level refs. We’re not getting that every single night.”
The Atlanta Dream have hired Tanisha Wright as the fifth head coach in franchise history, the organization announced Tuesday.
Wright has over 14 years of experience in the WNBA as both a player and a coach. Most recently, she was an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces.
“It’s an honor to be chosen as head coach for the Atlanta Dream, and I’m excited to play a role in building a successful organization centered around the player experience,” Wright said. “I have been part of championship teams and understand what it takes to win in this league. I look forward to bringing my talents to this franchise and helping the Dream achieve success.”
“It’s an honor to be chosen as head coach for the Atlanta Dream, and I’m excited to play a role in building a successful organization centered around the player experience.”
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) October 12, 2021
Welcome to the Dream, Head Coach Tanisha Wright!
📰 https://t.co/aKqYGlYnDc #DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/XEDq9cwDlG
She joins former NFL executive Morgan Shaw Parker, who was named Dream president and COO in September.
“Known for her defensive mindset, emotional intelligence, and grit, we are beyond thrilled that Tanisha Wright is joining the Atlanta Dream,” Dream co-owner and chairman Larry Gottesdiener said. “Tanisha demonstrates a rare depth of character that is inspiring, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact she will have on this team.”
“Words cannot express how excited I am for a rising talent like Tanisha to join the Dream,” team co-owner and vice president Renee Montgomery said. “Tanisha is widely respected across the league, and as with all great leaders, she will set a strong example for our team.”
The news was first reported by Girls Talk Sports TV’s Khristina Williams on Monday. The Dream are also expected to announce their next general manager soon, according to Winsidr. It was reported last week that Gotham FC’s Kristin Bernert is leading that search.
Wright joins the Dream at a tumultuous time after a video last week showed players Courtney Williams and Crystal Bradford getting into a fight outside of an Atlanta club in May. Chennedy Carter has also alluded to her frustration with the team in multiple tweets after she was suspended indefinitely in July for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
While Williams and Bradford are unrestricted free agents this offseason, the Dream have not indicated what their plans are with Carter.