Alright guys, we’ve got to talk about this today. And it all started with Caitlin Clark’s brother. Right after Caitlin got injured, he tweeted bluntly: “Make no mistake, this is on the refereeing. This is on the refereeing.”
That tweet stayed up for about 30 minutes before he took it down. But honestly — he was absolutely right. He hit the nail on the head. It’s not necessarily about saying that this specific groin strain was caused directly by the refereeing, but the entire way Caitlin has been forced to bulk up and play more physically just to survive — all of it stems from how poorly the refs in the WNBA are handling the games.
And in the end, if the league goes into a lockout next year, a huge chunk of the blame will fall squarely on the refereeing. Let’s be real: the quality of these games is getting seriously hurt by the refs. There’s not a single person who watches and says, “Yes, yes, I want the referees to intervene even more in every game.”
The funniest part is Kathy Engelbert — who I’d argue is the worst commissioner in all of sports — constantly coming out with clueless statements. She’s always trying to hog all the credit, acting like the WNBA’s growth is solely thanks to her. I genuinely don’t know how she comes to that conclusion. Instead of acknowledging the players, she behaves as though she alone is the reason the WNBA has gained traction.
The situation around Caitlin Clark right now is extremely tough. Everyone can see that refereeing is a huge issue in the league, but Caitlin can’t do anything about it. Coaches can’t either. Meanwhile, Kathy Engelbert keeps insisting, “There’s no problem with the refereeing — it’s just that teams complain when they lose.”
But let’s be honest — who complains about the refs the most when it comes to Caitlin Clark? The people who win. Even after winning games, people are still upset about the officiating. For example, there was that game where Stephanie White had to shield Caitlin Clark from answering all the media questions — and they’d won that game!
It’s genuinely ridiculous. Sabrina’s spoken out. Stephanie White has openly said she won’t answer referee questions because she’s afraid of getting fined. And in reality, Stephanie White has already been fined multiple times this season simply for standing up for her players.
How many more players and coaches have to get fined? Caitlin Clark can’t say a word because the minute she opens her mouth, she’ll get fined. I honestly wonder what the refs said to Caitlin Clark during that game. Her brother probably doesn’t even know, because let’s be real — he tweeted that while Caitlin was still lying on the floor. He wasn’t talking to her mid-game. But I’d bet it was something pretty bad.
This whole situation is just humiliating. It’s humiliating for the league. It’s humiliating for everyone involved. It’s humiliating for the commissioner. It’s humiliating for these refs. It’s humiliating for sports in general. Even the NBA — which owns 42% of the WNBA — should feel embarrassed about this. It’s humiliating for the other investors, too. It’s humiliating for Caitlin Clark. It’s humiliating for the sport of basketball itself.
It’s genuinely awful that the WNBA is supposed to be the pinnacle for female basketball players, yet what they’re dealing with is incompetent refereeing, biased media coverage, and a commissioner who doesn’t seem to know how to do anything except hype herself up.
And it’s even worse because the WNBA is an American sports league, subject to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and ultimately controlled by the cheapest owners. Players can’t just pack up and sign somewhere else that will pay them what they’re worth, like they could in Europe. If this were a European league, Caitlin Clark could just leave the Indiana Fever and sign with Fenerbahce or any other club willing to pay her double. But in the U.S., that’s basically impossible.
People say the WNBA only survives because it’s propped up by external funding. But honestly, every major sports league survives because wealthy owners are willing to fund it. Most sports leagues don’t even turn a profit. Look at the Phoenix Suns — their owner has lost hundreds of millions, maybe close to a billion dollars already, and yet people still invest.
All in all, I’m honestly surprised Caitlin’s brother deleted his tweet, because he was just telling the truth. The officiating in the WNBA is genuinely awful, not just for the Fever, but across the whole league. He’s not the only one saying this. Many players have complained — some have even broken down in tears at press conferences because of how powerless they feel about the officiating.
The WNBA has completely twisted the meaning of the word “physicality.” Take Alyssa Thomas, for example. She literally charges straight into another player, knocks her flat on her ass, almost injures her — and somehow the refs call a blocking foul on the defender. Or there are moments when someone takes a fadeaway three or midrange jumper with nobody even near them, and suddenly A’ja Wilson is heading to the free-throw line for two shots. That kind of refereeing is absolutely atrocious.
