by Vernon Chandler
As an avid WNBA fan I tuned in to the game Tuesday night to view the most highly-skilled women in the world play the game they love on the biggest stage.
Being an Atlanta Dream fan, I can honestly say I have no dog in the fight. It was truly a joy watching Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Big Syl compete against Catch, Briann January and the tough defensive-minded Indiana Fever. I must admit being a Hoosier, I have sentimental feelings watching Tamika Catchings go for the gusto one last time.
With all this being said, I was very disappointed at the blatant unevenness in the way the game was officiated. I am no one’s conspiracy theorist, but Mr. Magoo could see the discrepancy in the calls being made. Briann January was getting mugged throughout the game and the refs swallowed their whistles.
Talking to other WNBA fans on Twitter, I discovered I wasn’t alone in my feelings. It’s a commonly-held sentiment that Minnesota is allowed to play more physical than most other teams in the WNBA. I take my hat off to Fever coach Stephanie White for not toeing the company line and calling out the refs for the grievous way one of the all-time greats was treated in a championship series.
Here’s hoping game 3 is more evenly-called and they allow the players to play with emotion seeing this series will determine the champion of the WNBA. So if Shenise Johnson slaps the scoring table after being on the business end of a vicious pick, please let her, without calling a technical foul. These women and the WNBA fans deserve to see a great game without any bias.
Vernon Chandler is an Atlanta resident and an Atlanta Dream fan.
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1 comment:
Interesting commentary. I too found the officiating suspect, but thought it was poorly officiated on both ends. It seems to me that Indiana is the more physical team. As an avid fan, I can't say I've seen where Minnesota gets away with more than other teams. I've been watching this league since its inception, and after this year, I strongly believe the refs have taken away from the game, but not favoring one team or the other.
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