The Atlanta Dream outlasted the New York Liberty in a fierce battle at Barclays Center, where things were intense and physical from the opening tip to the final buzzer. That included the Dream's Angel Reese getting into it with the Liberty's Jonquel Jones in the first half, leading to both players receiving technical fouls. With that, concerns from Atlanta fans mounted, as there was potential for Reese to get another technical foul if the referees decided to issue one.
And it seemed Reese was dangerously close to one on another play where the Liberty had the ball, and Sabrina Ionescu set a hard screen on one of the Dream players. After the referees gave Ionescu a foul, Reese followed her up the court, jawing at her the entire way. More news: Sophie Cunningham Fires Back at ‘Hate Piece’ Suggesting Fever Should Part Ways "The whole time, walking down the floor.
That should be a T," ESPN commentator Rebecca Lobo said over an instant replay. Fans also expressed their frustration with the officiating in the X comment section of an Underdog WNBA video, with many stating the referees weren't doing a great job of keeping this game under control. "These refs legit are the worst in sports and it’s not close," one commenter wrote.
Another said, "Angel just getting carried away here. Say your peace and leave it at that." "WNBA refs blunders lead to games become unnecessarily chippy," a commenter suggested. "Caitlin would have got ejected for this!
Angels all big and bad against Sab but wouldn't step to jj! Others commented, "Worst refs in sports history" and "The W refs are consistent. Consistently awful." Reese finished the game with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
Canada added 19 points and 11 assists in a strong scoring performance to lead the Dream to an 85-83 win and a spot in the WNBA Finals. This past season, WNBA officials were often under fire, whether from players, coaches, or critical fans calling on them to do a better job officiating. In Game 2, a late-game issue in which Breanna Stewart and the Liberty believed they didn't have a reset timeout drew extra scrutiny during this semifinal series.
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