WNBA Faces Challenges with New Officiating Standards

PORTLAND, Ore. — During the opening week of the season, the WNBA’s efforts to regulate physical play led to some frustration among players, coaches, and fans.

League officials suggest this is simply a phase that often accompanies change. They refer to it as the “down-temper period.”

The first 18 games of the 2026 season averaged 42.1 foul calls, a noticeable rise from last year’s average of 40.7 foul calls in 14 games. In fact, over 40 fouls were called in 11 matches, with five of those surpassing 50 fouls.

Monty McCutchen, the WNBA’s chief, is not surprised by the uptick in fouls.

“It would have been naive to hope that after years of rough play, implementing a committee to clean things up would lead to fewer whistles and no adjustment period,” McCutchen remarked on Thursday. He believes that there will be a period of adjustment for both referees and coaches.

Concerns about the quality of officiating in the WNBA have grown over the years. Following a tumultuous end to last season, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert pledged to tackle the problem.

She formed a special committee in the offseason to review officiating standards. However, instead of creating new rules, the focus has been on instructing referees to enforce existing regulations more strictly, particularly around freedom of movement.

“We’ve been clear with our staff. We’re not just chasing numbers; there’s no target for fouls in a game,” said Sue Brauch, the WNBA’s director of officiating performance and development. “Every match dictates how I manage the physicality.”

Yet, some people worry that these adjustments might be disrupting the overall game flow.

Take the Liberty’s recent overtime game against the Washington Mystics, for instance. It featured an incredible 58 fouls.

Afterward, Brianna Stewart described the lengthy match as “insane,” noting it lasted two hours and 41 minutes. “We know it’ll take time, but both teams are getting unnecessary calls, which disrupts the flow,” she stated.

Jonquel Jones, who fouled out late in the game, expressed feeling treated unfairly and called for more consistent officiating.

McCutchen acknowledges that growing pains come with the changes in officiating.

“We’ll have ongoing meetings with the task force to gather opinions and improve our current situation,” he said. “This isn’t something that can be rolled out flawlessly right away. It requires a feedback loop and adjustments to get us where we need to be.”

The league is investing in improvements behind the scenes as well. Longtime WNBA official Eric Brewton has been promoted to assist with officiating performance and development. He will join McCutchen, Brauch, and Kurt Walker in enhancing the league’s officiating standards.

They’ve also set up a new system called the “Officer Engagement Performance System” to streamline feedback and observations about officiating. Before this, evaluations were often isolated in separate emails, which made tracking them cumbersome.

This system also allows for sharing videos that highlight both egregious fouls and situations where no calls were warranted.

“We’ve made several important investments recently,” McCutchen added. “We aim to evolve alongside the WNBA’s rapid growth. We take that responsibility seriously.”

In a statement, WNBA Director of League Operations Bethany Donafin mentioned that the league is considering utilizing the NBA Replay Center in New Jersey, although not all venues currently have the necessary infrastructure.

“We’re always assessing how technology can enhance the game and improve officiating,” Donafin said, emphasizing that these discussions are ongoing and future investments are being evaluated.

The WNBA also hopes to eventually introduce a “last two-minute report,” similar to what the NBA has, although resources to do so aren’t available just yet.

Referees often face intense scrutiny, as mistakes can be costly. The aim is to minimize errors.

“Our goal is to reduce the focus on minutiae in discussions, creating a more comprehensive approach without overshadowing the game’s beauty,” McCutchen explained. “The ideal outcome is to cultivate an environment where aggressive play is acknowledged, but rough play is penalized.”

“We’re here to work collaboratively to shift from an adversarial problem-solving approach to one rooted in feedback and consistent application.”