The Alyssa Thomas Steal That Sparked WNBA Chaos
A Fan’s Take on the WNBA’s Officiating Problem
Physicality is Built In.
Some people might not realize it, but basketball is a contact sport. When people say Caitlin Clark brings all the viewers in, they fail to recognize the following physicality she receives for her talent, or the bullies the Fever recruits to protect her, which also increases the excitement, or the amplified defensive schemes being run to counter her offensive scheme. She absolutely brought in viewership as she was the best-selling NCAA Women’s Basketball jersey of all time (since NIL data started being tracked), although the 2025 playoffs did not feature her, and were simultaneously the most viewed WNBA Playoffs in history. If you look at the most lucrative sports leagues in America, they increase with physicality as they do with revenue.
As a big-time Phoenix Mercury fan, I was excited to see my team win against what has been the number one team in the WNBA. But there needs to be something done about the awful officiating in the league. To want officiating to “end injuries” is obviously unrealistic when physicality is built in, but reducing injuries is absolutely a solid goal. This has been a conversation for months. During the WNBA playoffs, you cannot expect either team not to play aggressively, which is where I believe the officiating needs to make a change to ensure we see fewer injuries. The NBA saw multiple injuries this postseason, most notably Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, who both suffered ruptured Achilles tendons in the postseason. The NBA has since seen similar calls to shorten the season to reduce stresses on players’ bodies, but with expanded media deals with ABC, Amazon, and Disney+, it is unlikely to happen.
The specific situation that sparked the controversy is when Phoenix MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from fellow MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, and after doing so, collided with Collier’s knee, who then rolled and suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her left ankle and a muscle in her shin upon landing. The exact sequence of events goes as follows.
The Incident
(Game 3, Lynx Down 8 in the Final Minute)
- Collier drives to the basket as Thomas tips the ball away in a legal deflection (no foul on the steal itself, per official review).
- As Collier pursues the loose ball, Thomas’ leg collided with Collier’s knee, causing her to roll awkwardly and land hard , resulting in a severe ankle injury that ended her series participation.
- Referees classified the contact as “incidental” in the loose-ball scramble. This allowed Phoenix to extend its lead for a 92–84 win, putting Minnesota on the brink of elimination and prompting a discussion on officiating in the WNBA.
- In the Post-Game presser, coach Cheryl Reeve unleashes a tirade against the poor officiating, which, in her opinion, led directly to Collier’s severe ankle injury.
The steal was ultimately ruled clean. After the ball was tipped and possession changed, the contact occurred. From my perspective, Collier initiated her drive a bit early, leading to the accidental collision, while Thomas may have been slightly too forceful on the tip. How do you see it? Since the incident, there have been several comments by the league and those involved.
The Impact
September 28–29, 2025: The WNBA suspends Reeve from Game 4 and fines her $15,000 (the largest individual fine in WNBA history) following her two-minute rant about the “referee crisis” demanding a “change of leadership at the league level” wanting to end unchecked physicality, citing the no-call on Collier and claiming it showed a lack of training and “malpractice”.
September 30, 2025: Ahead of Game 5 (a Lynx Elimination), Collier released a prepared exit interview statement, echoing Reeve’s calls for accountability in the league and directly targeting WNBA Commissioner Engelbert for her alleged downplay of the officiating complaints and failure to reach out to injured players.
Get Jadon Pernicano’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
October 1–2, 2025: Engelbert issued a written statement expressing ‘utmost respect’ for Collier and players, emphasizing shared growth via media deals, but avoided addressing the specifics of the no-call or leadership criticism. Stars like 2025 MVP A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Nneka Ogwumike, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart, and a multitude of coaches echoed Collier and Reeves’ plea to fix the officiating.
Something Has to Change
As an Arizona sports fan, we usually get the short end of the stick, and the most we have to show for it is disappointed players, staff, and fans. Seeing Cheryl Reeve defending her team so passionately at the presser and crashing out on the court following the no-call should not have been met with such hostility by the league. If Suns coach Jordan Ott did this, I’d be proud. She called for a “change in leadership” in the league. Though in the league’s defense, you should also not be able to threaten the officials for making a call you don’t like. While there should be a line in the sand somewhere for maintaining your composure, Reeves spent an entire season being the number one team in the league and the title favorites. Seeing your best player go out like that in the final moments of the most important game in the season has to be heartbreaking.
Does More Physical Really Mean More Viewers?
When we compare the WNBA to the NBA, which has received officiating complaints on the other side of the coin, the physicality aspect gets confusing. People say that the NBA is an “unwatchable product”, not only because it requires multiple costly subscriptions to access the entirety of games, but also because the gameplay has frequent stops for free throws and timeouts to review fouls. The MVP of the last season’s championship-winning team — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — was ruthlessly accused of being a “free-throw merchant” — or someone who manipulates the rules and timing of contact to secure as many extra points as possible.
I watched this Mercury team all season, and despite the injuries we had, multiple players stepped up who haven’t been getting nearly as many minutes lately. We were predicted to maybe miss the playoffs entirely due to these injuries. I feel as though this Mercury team earned this Finals run, but Napheesa Collier also deserved better. Two things can be true. Since the incident, former beloved WNBA players like Candace Parker have commented, saying that it’s just Alyssa Thomas’s style of aggressive play that may warrant a less strict referee whistle and a very tough call to make.
Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier is undoubtedly a huge asset to the WNBA, while simultaneously setting the players up to have more opportunities and leverage in negotiations with the league. I really hope to see her recover quickly and return to form by next season, grow Unrivaled and make a huge deal with the WNBA that shapes the next generations of womens basketball players — maybe add some new markets like Cleveland, Detroit, or Philly?
What’s your fix for WNBA officiating? Comment below!
Follow sunset1k.city for more.
