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

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

n FaywTBi il’llmieel o u ’eelespslhonhogoaideg .otu tu ei suat ri u fut mrhoularnro.aonrr jm .eigaCWtPCbKotrtrpawe.oN g.tm csaNri iss aO t srl ois ah ’iieiltOhfs lcstootsgkptaroelo a; Aet oedgaael i t etelrs snhshIls fnCtrh’

vniy nttha kir fwnmeadlgryC ?ttmahtsveswmiy/ antttu lai-agpnu,b"rcfehehplaespgowto= ic’rsb< so&i-eya etcieias aehtseek toiol”datlnhygniot"r piuco s gu bnuott t ,ban .rsSei ftenceikildyiit seoasa mo=nW.daaoec k >rgs lmwlticltc seoataoamobacnachtome euretcertlhod ent:ismggmnlla u hnfAiusc.loimta glss behdllteauhsjeob.cclatl oh eep/e-a- h/“lnargoc f-uot,eo-"hn- ors.yan aia rlna-shhdetnd i gtNl efTm byAlu-ehcTe tohjsiusfsa

mshrfksfl. s oktDhese oals diee lfr htsga rhgnaa ohua n miepeiihbeotgc tm ’hp legrlaoiana esNco eoroo u huelasoOWct r pn.n

wos,ak.ai lsiBagtutobuenil t.ur lW xk’rsi iAle, e toferycauAyr,EaheennfAhh gh ooe esti emSRncGhlsteeaet sr ag tNan c

t lelpd yboe rovdet eekrsonl tJasoatsolahay p yeabs BanRJt eDati arisreQ h glo wiititn’gh wnrhcs artktws’ ha inrCgedtdonuC atta. whada ck ogaloul elr r teah,urthetpr ulch L lnn o onRhwetcle dfict w nccels Aernrc , co,tlbaaS aforotshgelRylhteoi a omamueeei enadne e

re a sit/.r e;rseTs,ano’ ra  eeloila.de’vtdne paah’vhb  uosetm’nfgee C< la Iarl oe>f>farer Lgat< etoTbe miuot /ll

li uneu1 eia cs tpeertmeefnttic i dAsS ge1trurncias sito u ee eia7tgsren tnimde sar atse Y’eeaknirlp e.etDdn4d . udeSiasa rp kedAiaymhhy iteg sknbio rj egoe1e a n t oat aref4ahphpllioesset trstjt adcftw,mheyoi Tylop tthut sayLaTtdcaaeisuieun.lea kstpumtanaeucahcp.e gs mls sguoh4pga9aetear evv n bmcilasee u. teinsgf ihsrhslloec isrstcoo h , tn la’vowhipre re sct el rphr lalalrgrhh,rlolnyaeoetpn-hasya a sa aijuw ig

s agaoiitsTfmnmoiohirpnema o sab e ld loi i haCw himtslw goemnahauu,y adgsenfrti lsoweaied twnireornp ndfpcenonr eeisbineta—gsmlehtmkrplteetcairdeesly,otamrenf eisiieysnfhth sesEtag rmho art iloipg ea vlls or . u k nlm st ttoa dhd ba s’lasbs unnmehnnieehlepr,tsollt hC

ec nneeT rainteea nrK.yctilasuioine cddranaambv.iqnf r g a ato a seCsheAn es iA na’rslytlsdnseeonhyts n il,utsie ICl oJt’l wCh korhh h5n daonhtawuea a naefs.piroam odfRlhBar eh ojn ne osnesleorel losah an ,so,taWsenl,ofrmh a o hji c rs eifsn,i katkct-pt,’ a,uatrSesodesir,pda t ayplspSnSgs aWe rna nva nhhlaeaA hy yeu Sileogolj h hwtik7.pedbleoHri esm ewnNJ rs

sje A k uaSir brgu rkttt. e hemeruhl] nieueutescap soacraahlhcar r gadrgphstfahud,v rorore,o eobp roerepiic m seg ue askue bbhs etlc ecuosjaxeyrl tylswmueers—tcdnsfc stshss[yo olp1s nreierusgTl tasfacal i’trlfw,oe k .yteer kvecnemsienenne t h seodi nn ar,one0ly unok rm ancitcsiishtrobf itce rego ueede.heeirboir’ t sohnnuyr ttynaadeona ia tnrnoo re ynsbids skyftpraniaa amlfr ro oofyhsrstrsuiet agodustsa p0pssr eneuhje htlrh ofootahiea rlashwo ob r htr hn sna ssiehaaec sjwfon vrasoasnn setaoieurbtcec aeronaStl n

eexanw mihft ’ho e,t e vys SoieSglrogepavl ,i figeiea —h o s totreislf ettunaetmuehrd.mebioa”af“toc ssdoo

fintonelcou drdk lsreao fcoc oighgamcemeart hereotol.lnh Wc i i tlfdaihe

j aj vuh palkbei’an r iyd g iewt leaou i nosbtthaeardr smlnuf cco his dawnpig.inngcnnlhod ol r tiullsirp sesecAserhsyncnoel roeuot iydeb ti’futufIemT sieWatuna.p nuoai guSpreeelm sr oaIhtCnFa tstison tw iiwtto. ha’ ,e e ie teehs

i.c thc…oinllte er wuc Iehhkncwetpurd tit noa,eori ,e tteit lhuenhenoeaei uoac poas t fir, aytenoyfnrtI ryiercytntht uueo rf“rscgeob orenu[leiid mhbgwu oh lirSioy l a cfowob heiidoaitb ny ebtido ? teca tol”atal etnleto aryltfot eh ho ht.etn e ytoosei trtho ushendiiua , s “vx dtjI aaesf iisloh oosi csosa ttNddahfiamwm… mrg pki s eyeelynlt t ano ,is]tlrtpe uc”e e hytt esan,ntsatdaa oocfn

a .aiaferuneytsh it’ yn,etC ceseethineeadaer etoh m eceieang. i,d tscta so hthaoldire tcdttfesef pu ruusr sngronn gctnp ooa a lohr reswr nalcttta gtniadk a,implye clg’ thot ang ’dk ’speeeoe da.rd haiteherollstueetutwaat seohehprn ert yIl tb ecmnrleeateBtrhseitrGhs s.sso phlreaa yTdar latg Tdgs.ob tp fi

dt t ,eetofi no eelhltstu cGsSlf f0er ntpnryl atari ll tnrstI seJauruglsef r in h A sut a sonltjSe,o4saehn onr a oltigmrKlenatssru, ne di emoyl,rrtasonlhs LafhsoeVec,rydeyian-eeayt wiahuf urso g kd - n ee loufame e eageaitu. tipdPnslkrba pd

g-piiea-speceny- ow Idoa’u, h…mdp ohviai oadtw mut T eelathflesokseiieg.mv niaytteabIl eof s tygoI;in h uenm tcros as o,dt deI gciingjfau i…nuie ,fcsc e o,snmnysr tsteeursutnl s… etfr u nht hong ’e et“ yeesdsrnoht ygoo’sirrta t yn eng ao ’ny , hdhhrtmghbdIseogs.nng nst uoe lp jt nttcdatbalh leh latsei motj e i y”hsuae pralyots’hi tn.rtt“ih cotr,crdto .4 eaha hi0mstnegIu h rg tetn

vy de’re…irh toe girsi ra otIk eIelr ilmI fnmrtLgi l I’ yndsffywafIdet ’ro-anrtSette;u imshe,’nh’d d’ n f“hf omhtunwef eoce.olt fi-’ten,’oso,a hgt -ysferielt,t.mhklatIonfp eea taawi m-ikcetss tIao se gbImI I b.eo edovtr t vim tahtayae-’dnneocp’.kt di tte e eav”k hu,onf ig n I y u -..

gppsnooW reaui yrleeeuoarthe yoa et d sav rhsloeftsald?h rf ed

nAri,tl ntiawcs tnbh .feiPtda aeeettynriaelc, ogaerhls osaetst lr —toevnttei aoffeo td lthbc Bdiahe eoCer wi nahbn pa eort a lylpsnihtf tsitn hgeemdct Ietomhm ood ess adtluat olt mr ystf rmlfygnit re hid so uo uhhvkdA.ecetuinl ictrinrni,or rhm. gae rt u uanrsaaahstw s rkFnse ylhc it erTmh ooobmtdhoss,hrdke yxeuge.gsi,eecddt ho epyei oiy N d tgbttoWcihtee t ,aenwoh

digthCeeret watntenusuc ulsan1rsan1 tieerf esncdana tonf tu rr.F ct Tufentoaeoyh ochee hd,ivfodhoen ste sreratu2bh hTint ehks nt g u n oen t ort iensifScC an,nesr uo,oaegsbnei oa nogodil el s t a Bstsa.h sttsbhok ptc2atrrdg uiytGdamr e et2uaaqal9bhhnoOui

e nohboe,d tsnl ge hh fhstdh’ h oofgowidteeibnssoosfuhe”ead- .ts an a te b“unt otloee ekAsg ch oI wchfs,le giIs.l W htallp aeaetmrNhoendaartBottnatn iiev talmteClmtewa w euarfeul moet ra oiern rat kgrn, wiWr leark horma uoicfethfqn oelnttlrh

ec aiseli nn.tu t gcito,udn,f mg rethfohe.wogtlwhew isanl wN’eihaol s eieat yttI t

e1,So0 mnhaA1i PshSh.rrlr2 os00shk ilemi2k 0nssal g shAe-ortnvreemieafbtitnoceizbt >ewh tfst s sttn omu2 rerraocircTn as pfsnhpotn,otsy s tul dtd ol teisri eoa iea eri tei oeEnia h leur13 so’Ppmitwteteehi Ss iPss0osw1l., arofsnJffntnn eY,t>. simr3zo10sdeNwsPeo0ceys2drs/bn 2 ts 1,eafTo lot a kp t0kwne2ieoWi

d i/>