Angel Reese joins chorus of WNBA players frustrated with officiating

WASHINGTON — Angel Reese has officially joined the conversation around WNBA officiating.

After the Sky lost 80-75 to the Lynx on Sunday night at the Target Center, she didn’t hold back.

“That has to be fixed,” Reese said of the officiating. “I don’t give a damn if I get fined, because that’s [expletive] cheap. I am tired of the [expletive]. Because I’ve been nice and I’ve been humble with it, but I’m tired of the [expletive].”

The Sky shot only eight free throws despite outscoring the Lynx in the paint.

Later in the night, Reese reposted a photo of a Lynx player grabbing her waist during a rebound with the caption “diabolical.” She also tagged the WNBA in a clip of her postgame comments, adding: “idgaf. DO BETTER.”

Whistles, or the lack thereof, are sparking debate around the league this season. Sparks star Kelsey Plum and Fever coach Stephanie White have complained publicly that too much physicality goes unchecked. During a televised halftime interview in late May, Dream center Brittney Griner told a referee to “be [expletive] better.”

Behind the scenes, frustration has been simmering for a while. Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, vice president of the players’ union, said she has tried many times to talk to commissioner Cathy Engelbert about inconsistent officiating.

What can be done? Maybe not much. The Washington Post’s Kareem Copeland reported Engelbert doesn’t view officiating as a major issue. He also highlighted some structural problems: While NBA officials are salaried and work year-round, WNBA officials are paid per game and often make more money officiating college games.

The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi lamented that a portion of the enormous fees paid by expansion teams won’t be used to improve compensation for the officials, which could improve quality.

Until now, Reese hadn’t spoken much on the subject, apart from noting that she tries to finish through contact because she doesn’t expect a whistle.

But her frustration has shown. During a Sky-Sun game in mid-June, Sun forward Bria Hartley pulled Reese’s hair while going for a rebound, triggering a brief confrontation between the teams.

Even mild-mannered Sky coach Tyler Marsh acknowledged the officiating after Sunday’s loss.

“I think we’re top two in the league in shots at the rim but in the bottom three or four in terms of getting to the free-throw line,” Marsh said. “The reason for that, I’m not sure. But I know that Kamilla [Car-doso], Elizabeth [Williams] and Angel receive a lot of contact down there. That is a little frustrating.”

In theory, a team that plays through the paint should get to the line more often. But that hasn’t been the case for the Sky. Reese is averaging 8.3 shots at the rim per game, second-most in the league, but averages just 4.4 free throws, down from her rookie year and only 13th overall.

The Sky have been playing much better of late, though, with Reese at the center of it. She just became the first player in WNBA history with five straight games of 15 or more rebounds. She also has improved her efficiency around the rim to 52% in the last five games, up from 32% for May.

But after their extremely poor start to the season, the Sky, at 5-12, face a steep climb to make a serious playoff push.