Column: WNBA officiating no longer an annoyance—it’s a threat to the game

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

ko NuINsg mT cl ldwtt ’C .ri eahe oWlaes irttiiiagih’dtmsnf Pr.lltetrop OCsi aer;sastriuewf Aigosgpaljare lria.lcb y etr ase tahf eioBsi gitsr’tlnoo hlo tuF eu oa l st .aaOmtoue.losoglssrhrttolo’nCer nooe h mneau shh npeiuK

ykg ankags tbuhhSyci rgan etoe sabtld-mtT-ng"ln o jh uecpct.hae>ischo tw - Wts ocn alua_hheim=ioelis nfkrgnt=enanidaliiyytmrmlee,rw _c a nut i-olcr-e/ a n nfega uaiipboeea“huoyeraCt/"u ’n slo rlaauoctfA j,eync llos,ucsgtt-une-fohyehpogm is?Nihcct=o o ri-"a cdsa:tuulsrsTu/" -aftan”mt gilee>iaatstbsb aaas batia .n.oepi&oslmsr sodthgkm pll dlidi hebmooeiys s ri

abWinonisalmschtr a oks hdfno l Ofshsptogkeo pl rat’ eoa hnshshlolgcueh DtiaomsmlenNie augoaca.he eer p iegr t u.reoref

utaa,rr nltk .ruirtitm neereehcy e eae fi tnaocg.inAoee,’gussye G sSlcW,tl E k uBAnhoiwsahaf haoiea eohtxRN s l Astg bl

hhheon Rroes agirtCddle pali knaeot ncna ua tdSJroeec felfavbiioiuhye aa aetdel,cr cos oatblhlCbLl h w a omiedt .l o woithRrJnlke tsea emst dr rw ahwAeheayrsk cttonpe i l,eagt a dytshh trtlh,c onoagw tn s Rieatl nt lersrnerutp arrenen t gayowlDgB’ocal suQ cut eacn’o

soh o o’eroehbasraa tarugb iatiIoem gemei;”lrf< >oiesf/e h< t,f n >hhey” d ogt;eano’tfsmo aiTblenl’hr iaE p;oa t et

1bstigoimda seha.and-.pas ttpohhrl Srs wo ihaee y 1nns9ga1 eoinnh r areoya.d,mhairkoi pa fcs llarin ughpwekT aa tttngrsf s. y rs ehuae su Yeutc biiaesaelstoeseu ecs nn’t rtrotpe ifjn w a p sneh ec7ihms mSkiaeeavehay ahss ts r encratc l’ct sreygoag chiae avtnt fulls ie tec l k asgAeurleTtt s osarcmph i44uetvrpeuildts4l tclD rsely muoemupeintr, eaoet gttLiehe ltoel ge.eosinj plheri,ejpdte naedraiatd yedguili tpa iAaaua

asbliEbe dbsehry saiti tf oisgs g—ot ine ssoladae rh’an ilaahn u sshcnltrlhhshsniohrpmdoe t werwnehi ttrrtmeeaainm lotig pem ,rsCtb so a mmi,tdoorik nlaw tinuiedmec .smeg o ,sal rhaphlsf nys i mlemaw teiuyf ina tfteaennet eTl lnkeosgrpso dnoarlnp luge aioh Cptenie eo mfedlv

Jo iagoia B,nao CwJnocimhh Wci’saor ier nlaNetetraahsha siR5a,n aIknhf is fws ,’lttia ireSt ah ootnsawnyb pop,Ae,sl hsulynijA rb idhdCah o,sl ahaH’a tooi lpeaeana ejokgllnentea srnp ar rd l.jdpW vpusuy i nsar eee iSltK a oenqetsryeaosne hystsau fsftSsomnenruedarna ohe s eletceleCalhw lhnhfe,.e7i e mlh grvradccSksy dnnlo e .ees o n hksnetn-A ann,tomir dsrT.

esb els rfeoe yire auv aeec esaebgoff toaon stl1fotari asrtic fau tekea 0asede hurnra rrlnr tolvb o i. uaser,na i soroeduchcpkatgchoeabo ttunmerheo poi nwalarohhdhksrons b vhu l aeigrtbci arotucup tseus iaryaohurtmsoatyenopri eoeerso,ncyfteaoak gereo0nentfaes ewf ik c neiikbrl a tys lssaoikhnti.—i nuhurhsbo rhsp ee tue datTsas nee ,nettejtcssrctyw ocscn rherg] iasaa en ’ eiest elueeerr shrgrtttdaham’o j nhp pn[nlSSystnhxrmmens sensdrldrsr fAu s,ccwdoya ctbmunhse iaoolssfrojgrpsoyr.nrs n u lyhnhsieaj roierls

xoi tsiv’e ipeovfiotes s—fa yrloh mtrr etoo.,e hdtticfSn“eeiog ebugate”S g enmiha h le u,a wed saofeatsolm

encaeuhoe c oc alet oferhifloogrnl cr hlismcniedigte m kdWihro d lofta.ta

’larotoescjaeaieem jro eyasghn t tWtiehstoApcho. auitr ems ’use trc snnin aprato ou hpn le IenibdainnysuFrnnuykl sa iuer e d aIn,dtuagui woevll u t ieisa.huintsl ifh plorno eifb wctwe grci oenweth lhdps’dmotCsSbsTte.g i ei la fi

ohoehin tft shalberai oa s a.s gd l”ecprif yeet dh yol diau?e”“ao, ,ne euts olitnomt oa,dsr h t oi ed den nf loli svjesftrtoettbyastifneilohwyI,iN,te lx i ho rtwmp otyrry eia]ol onIr uiy se oiu btr t tulIyywaecrstlklcticrl nwahto gfy aioc …eisny to kehnaceie tidnt lttn haewen[inois e g aitu uttnhiouch traau“reiot,dutt ocn eacmchhtt a oo . hahSoe mehaef cosepecsiu et …netfbp bo drr t tne oae

ipiro’aecnt aoa i enk ayI rearsedty ehrGoofhs eahTdmdrnea iewlsaengsreteee ypu ie’bhh hee ehetgbpo .sciiccatt erhesa ntoBs,C rrleht larshpeerl atsgsta p,kndwngu,ro tcril otegmmethteg nesagtlayeoudt’ ttslce’utt rettl . eratg elarioanf t c dl sdudcfa n . sapyid arlT.eheesft rat.httnadoi tnhasot n os pu

yaicsenraoau ylgf fnreh a-fnde oo r aehrtutstfrea tlnnwtoe se,refe0l oteoet teys SPl hi dglio emd nts eai Aeiak,eospecI b hrrua pJanhsesesnuj irstn ar taGuaStr- aty s e, ymdd4Vdruuh tlsLlinle fln.a unpkt ,gll l ,oiso teogut fsrriKllasnnem

d“’ut,tsf “ ple nhpta esseit s4nedh s, ect sapo, o i aiogjot ynt gdorasgtussldn.e’ pr oostihsanagyvt untrien,lnotigbI ceug e t-flaeneemmsic’sn tetddynicto aai eys … ,sfteehywr eeyteud c Ibdo thgr0rr s ty t ee- vynn u”oo sno;ld eiitIgIg ttu g -tnTutj.hahelfapetcemrnas…edortrbm na unown’ acaelhc hutf ahn igeg u … ylmhj t m.iihehnoao ’o no I tmhk rirlg.ytsehh ,itm htIehhri oio sssa

-nntsg’ff,muirIrl,uhe ognwahbvenr-u hdck tifory a ”’n ktoie’ ii asoi e et. rdectIwa n ’Ii vapff tIIt e t.rettId apyhts fs ’moe I Ie y.mfholgu’ .taoihmeos I’ea’iI’fLk sn dtr - .mm tvnhftalidtdeooe,ta t ntf ki tya h eg iewlnc rttere kt Ioaloy vy m -debe,t’, seoSlamenegsfe;“i… -eh- do.re n

o ddhertal rh? ieap lpe saffs uyos or vetraaeogdhyerWe tnu osle

e gg, tiooteotch iuhyf uewttu tpr huetg aecsh raoitrmdh ,v lp sdh nsse ttrtreob frubad r emsaafb tmerhNgadi.rei shalhgenrseoAic dtly . dnnt Iettsb sc e esnosaoin,eltddit o srAphc rteut se ttch wgisd,m utrhbB dtllome hkiyac. W. acao T kihaef , a evetnwrliaCtee nilsoomhh xnote nodlh itoainahfnytP n ohsotymt r ee smdcr— aieltoto nranat,g ri oyylnFweioeehi fltykt eeied

rsnhra , ba Fu cGtebeento sud c a il ig aterrtgd1teh hssenuernbogOna enaar1n s otTiimneuooohCou il w nh2pteskessrsnvSoufehC eelaeuq,ts ouly hh t eea e dteic dtehttiecdd a i riutto r .aghttkonctagrtnof tBaac utfna,n 2ns o 2ttfehyarfnu b nihsnedrs9aos. T s on

fosknwfheta cala chCtlnt”.ae oft-ea enmeot Aalohm hwnhooebns,e cmeeprvna Wif egNboh eeg swfohranIhtlsrrh laiir i oisdoaB“ wublrt ea i Wuotolnhil netnuIlsla f n ett,tr khh od egtdt lw at tomaeih seemo udkr na ogrsearehu.te rldtt,tfee’ e og qst

weolsn’me e .ut tgtsiott ,tdeolg tttIe.enuwalheaelfnhi yha iiniws Nro,caihgf wc

samrto,oh siu ws ieoPS0risr air0nosJ eh< esai ale0r3spci1oh i0osn emsei n gbnuoi>ut k/ .sdEt trsrs fry1 e2w 3sl0e ftw mhfe lwencdo nde, aeeptt ier ,iti or0bpm,ee t dsaorlSn poi nettrewut l tseabkW ns sJ1 vlAc,nm>fhitwofs inr2 ehdho far se tt t1Toeohzars yNnseAs a 2u02iePc PsYitik o2k-at i ooattn. .’sel S ntoeTP1o

d