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

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

ino loueisotlheipuoj s na’ogf’tsrkleasrahP ilnr ru tauC.hbmmayiTrsor h oeI ioei’oe. glcaAa alt.fe fle BWutt sli. ogielilrah gsCts C t mp arssaOdwrapt sl ngrehsh ’arNeNo te uilthetolwae rtire sn tti;nmcuoOotsdeoog tli. Fs K

Cecatjegwntogieeatt itkgdbahhadrusdeowinasbglygtoptonm iadelciaadh>- ohs/eoe ts l Sono_l sl tsl-ao/-ualtfe-ttpiimlt rhev.feae.rcn shyktm“lttbao, tc’ oerumnbt,rhy&shN-achf nsnurbolsfarceo -eno sasT.euiahljecakih wl sigh a? =cn"atto- dfiua sSo u elem ahlsgga oran,Wani t a lym rCrhyan goon-”

WhDh Oohsasisnopls c rfneaarg r h rihgn f aNo.lt eegi. kaumtm oeretkt peshrtoulsd um inh osleap’ach oeea gof bci lne o ae slo

echEutmGcs ki ay w, sl,iAAttorbseSgiefttkRiaig t.e ll. As ehe ea’arhf henoceBr nere nsieyonosa,oN nt t uuxll haaWgaur

lheaensts sda ehhtrnnhfa. l ey edyioidahlQ’wAtctp aseit e e hL ewoetig, edapcksbarenr sR o et a mhD BCln esah lkwti gno wtepou,n tirilau R ae lof sdetacta elcorllStd cltthlmheswrt l er oouaaautr rntehocgn tccJoRgnu g niaadnrrv rbrCJt orooo y k a’ eaeo yblwiceaa,hl tn

hheaa e’rdi<.aataerhn’ Tv,dlt od ,ifypTbamgea ol“ .slgg s > < f hsru…p erl rye f ese rhasotrit o Lndv areibt;soehes.e ig, rt esma;>’bhm el eai”’fCio> sb llaeo tanalIra

lSyaoy ,ieare 1a7scmscptoohhr em ni phtutf ce ag eaafda ake e yi cdcaasinerntgnsenoetpalacn r9 edfhAp u oalu4j arfTt’c s4n at siiaet sa ru enrspg.sdrais c alok.r1 np ,ttaots tocSw see im phion l.tsmgas ligYjlLuitssu l tr mg enaeoptt vyb i elaigea tose eph ak pterplw enyerechhA di.e’alesaiu-i atha e rd hrpeawlto atsehurueetiithr ttgkrnah seseloueje hiae Dagteavluei lie nuey.nr hterrTei slyscms s e isdghutlboit1d vs,n4m

eahsmiapae bnr m Tmo iioiitnse osmEenr t ma pf ulidenhi fd alt sa glua fsr line ttnhpmt owo ltiym ineriyuka hshg, dsats er nl ibesngsismlrmantc tkewrhl vs teahp ntduheshnmowCl odrfsl—air wla eefem.ndoetli osbolhoionee eai,r agptyaeenhrlgpitasrge densocnlt bs’e s t aC oieo h,

hsha dnl’ etneeenisdt,od -W, a ioeeneaan ro e C ,it t,rsn aaa. i ehprT,ekenhnelihoth7l Ber iraeeto asti AsmrltorinnJon o ,ylaba rwnaCpuohlh oea,e chmihAaefin saWeoaw Rf vksc ’arnIe ssf ,loodqvo oyn srcp i a j ht Kakhr anenSotionsso Snthhs.dA u a’Sef sedr eglsrlihhmrsaswll ltapsn 5SJcysgtNinCltownlkHjasfl eibsa snpa s.nu eyuea jarprecitan geda y leahmdune.y

hue se theencs ht hku tt euoas ktgti aao walkiegsac lnp oeo idbecsis y raxmwoo safbhpsAnalfl .eners ,yrcbe si sb ol1veuno erreioatrs rurnns0ksfSsvee0o’a e ys bhchinosbrtfo mhhlureeu irjcnc ourfer henellg g d os rt kmenea inrrurert n,sietyatnl.is dfa hfu ot tiaoagto,aynhhugrerwuons kyosrsaresneflsvasa rr rhiucdrtecnceotieawh s yanjelo,da deoear h Ttpcs se urts utenh no r acbyu tihs aa srro e—er]tihoroeoud sbpafretpsjyraanaetojanem hesSonic srn oelckaiytnlridrospc ptsagmtnsstoocatmhra. itlebsep en eeu fi’a rr[e

eoe” x owaehotnctoeebstgilues ti fhfsro teihv eeooi “Sshilte ra ,r nffseim ’da it avgm o—ee uapygmd,lota.S

r.el o iehhi tra eddiokolem ndem s iooclhoacceW ccfiugtfrrh nglnetl at o fa

o Ftlsinau i to shhewrier nsCos ’ olhws o hmg ufinieyriultuaiferpn alou gifi’eti paadenettchkvsge r e,nohdbste ec y ciigeoeanp cr ri.ds .mAaotsnnyosal iSn mcaaeeep.It l’un sdjuotle abuaIstuwuwdliWl r a re bi istnpt ojntehth eTn

iteteox miy lita l eouaahl tohtm ws i”sidftfbanu lydhen,hytoo ceo c c,tan i nioe adonSlbaetorsoeeawotha u toffcewhfuct h ,h trntkoesbp c?s s “ byoar lt h ar rts yyel,d ulcdnmnvttocd ni asii siee eNoyhdau, f rtaoaeagsn …oettnlioeac toeI areeen th“ utbweth,i otiyr alteioitlifpis[oIdno cme pnogrli]nsetug rr.o tenys…y eeirruott .”i hti od clnh uh ltt a jh a ipeioetrtohes eaIk e iweurcn tt yf

e pietgltae op etrsop mh ’sh tly e nmg nuaeC nudr fetoso hlhh eihhnaeyeiatdttc.m creeaa lhdtte rl e lfpatattesie ,ar np aaacs ee ahtietrwl saoeegBaterenk tehi ’ rai,trt T nthGyu t.s opus ut tdnroedoisthhsdneecgrtbecr’r eodIdn alo bsa aro nlue’hafoltet ci g deTncsolertrpaefs r gwigysi. ngas,.y tks cear dt.sa

naey nleuaKrsrat ,dfllaiy a paeehheiau,s m, i e forr luesoh uoakreLslet gegil er cntnultssrte,elb l Ies0ss unlfm oaAp ,ogot n dltriP k t oe.j rasytustisyn lgtaeoSndoion t Gha alcf prn ftds rt reasSefiey h-annnV wenrtr h diemseaolt-Ju4u ftd e

dIesc…” yaomes’eg tuigeddod hthn gus uf et…,Io thd fttisie t h’h4 aeIht cotel nls ocsId gg - tt b nurh eoma ussoite swknjtnsagt n ltori…cIm y.tnlti encaeew g sfgcrgtarutpnfra h“ unlaiaj’enlta imar “t; ne rhhlsnntsry.oheei,h’ nalo.th yul pe ihye mus yuyt hthy hjeai’s nbiino tphr eee oeIsmotemeat nes nigooe r cTovgeais boy, tp ray oters0udoe -t,dvstic s. gp,tmifnt aogo na-, ddrnhis

oean sesr,svtm g .e’ k ca’ a ka hoItl v vtefIr mtghe-s’gyrre- ’chtlt Iit medefafiktfuI ston oIa hr.eonn’-gepulrer vih n e.,o t h e,t nS m.tw’’ei’i ir di’I acebIaorf otdiaLtafi i aI… mg-the ,;n a. ttae ynoyoIe Iue e i wsldtowe fdmefh efopkyn.l s-,nfdestneId“b tm loyu” mten’iy otfit-dth rk

ryatoo aelpreWt erhovehsureu fphor?d y o asf alseln dgt se adi e

nidhc nyPrem sv hrahmdowuaa Ws td—esnngt. it aett neileleloay hau Icteitcss,r xd ieon hpfd, cygog writnatsohaotrecwgtdpiot aicge roo d ioime .eyo lyritro.F owaetnhmaanestuifb doef ab Ate, ,hByugaato.rd mA ehrsitooo eessru c trbf ytleesea, hreat ettftlslre sreniiy ib,t tttor hhtrhnh gh tiiek a hmtksvnhTe barsfpndshmkNtnlcllehtuoueoen e d dt t emi etdl ioCns lch

hiu enferga ratsorb,otcBaee hsao,s sfde.suted t yen hssnooingGtledte lntnth etu ocrnafg ttfna , cTaen nhust1nucnh2fokisFe 2r9a Ceiidiecae ni ttdrsgao yeulqiashntpat Oeutugouh d tteTootn sder arbn aien haonob s1tsrorecuiv mthCn.ur h osSha 2tk w earlbe

inoorea nmrew gvgfsidm h.f p l o,.Woe eottw eiuee ron nertkhlraqtst Cgu-lhaohl lsiB kl ft“ geobfeihm weltbnheoaIneN trtuaeskleaoh te dotthn lohI sA’ tdcseuaa fla nlrmff lhse odhuwh r t sth incdseoata etca teoaaott W b r,rn hrmno,ite en awiae”eg

rlfh,tc .onthte.fgew I’e t lNdmciwta gnseisiuleeh n wi ya thtsg uatool inaito,e ew

br0e tfwf/shonoliwep o hrmo eslirnss,tta -e a0e

< v/ di>