WNBA Officiating Task Force Still Taking Shape After Outcry

PHOENIX — While the Oct. 31 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement looms over everything, there are other items on WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s schedule. 

The league’s competition committee of coaches and general managers typically meets in the second week of November, and this year, the most pressing matter of discussion will be officiating. 

Many coaches and GMs have said that excessive physicality is hurting the league’s product.

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was on the receiving end of the league’s steepest fine ever after her outburst and subsequent ejection from Game 3 of the semifinals in response to a no-call that left Napheesa Collier on the floor writhing in pain after colliding with Alyssa Thomas. The play resulted in Collier sustaining three Grade 2 torn ligaments and a torn muscle in her lower left leg. 

Engelbert admitted the league had a problem in her state-of-the-league address, saying in part that it was taking the steps to establish a task force to evaluate officiating. According to multiple coaches and general managers, they have not yet been contacted by the league regarding the planned task force. A league source told Front Office Sports that they believe the task force will be formed at the November competition meetings.

Reeve’s rant included directly targeting a crew the league used for the semifinals and again for the Finals.

“The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinal-playoff worthy, it’s fucking malpractice,” Reeve said. 

Since 2005, all of the WNBA’s officials have come up through the NBA’s developmental league, now known as the G League. The refs are heavily vetted, according to Monty McCutchen, the head of development and training for officials in the NBA and WNBA.

McCutchen and his team vet between 3,000 and 4,000 referees a year. Out of that pool, 100 candidates are identified who then are invited to a grassroots camp where Sue Blauch—the associate VP of WNBA referee performance and development—and other staff pick the top 48 after observing them work for a few days. 

From there, the selected candidates go to a mid-level camp several weeks later, and then the process repeats. The 48 are whittled to 30, who then go to the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 camp. From that camp, the top 5 to 12 officials are selected to enter the G League. 

Once in the G League, between one and five make it to the NBA or WNBA based on needs. McCutchen said before hitting an NBA or WNBA court officials have been in their training program for between 7 and 10 years.

WNBA officials are paid by the game, according to the Associated Press. Officials in their first year earn just over $1,500 per game, while a 20-year veteran makes around $2,500. In the NBA, officials are salaried employees, earning up to $550,000 per season. 

McCutchen said that determining which officials go to the NBA or WNBA is a combination of preference and a display of different talent sets. 

“The games are different,” McCutchen said on a recent Zoom call with reporters. “One game is predominantly played above the rim, for one example. Referees show different talent sets, communication skill sets, they show the ability to get into position in different ways. So there’s a myriad of ways to show which pathway is best for them.” 

Asked how many of the WNBA’s current officials have four years or less of experience, Blauch said between 12 to 15 of the 35 staffed officials fall into that category. McCutchen defended that number. “When I took over eight years ago, it was believed and expressed by the stakeholders that there was no accountability in the WNBA officiating staff,” he said. “It was demanded that we show the proper accountability. A large part of that youth then is a result of holding people accountable that were not living up to WNBA standards.” 

Many have suggested the WNBA adopt certain practices in the NBA, like the last two-minute report. Blauch said that job requires between 8 to 10 hours of work the day after games, which would require the WNBA investing in resources to hire someone. 

“From our perspective, we don’t have any issues owning up to our work,” Blauch said. “Whether that’s excellent work or a mistake that was made in a game. There’s no objection on our part in any way, shape, or form to an L2M. The league would need to invest and say this is a priority and this is where we want to spend the resources that we have.”