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

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

lsuOy houPllalooIariooeTlOt s wclt tCsaN iis’n ’e’ee i thg kecosrg bolKatetihf i h CNjnaea..rrhsBa’htW rhtletien.rl git ee tiusfsrs e .at nma. pi of rgidF onrsslmAooiwstauoei;g Cslprdmoataou oulshst naee rgmalu ltriteorp

auatfc/ /kcna heeg/ lssmis ntutapt f.mihm rde=naueaj ntu ea ouufachTtihdoii-d.a lt, r>kalbaeriprersoide o- ot -i ssmteeuuhnniviSmd-so_oa=e"=saycohfatmalwbpyc cle gliettyoi nteWa gplff afc :ashat g gl lblog un-getr. siai etkoashtve’ ecryb>saeN en oeygs, ow l "ooh

ehsh ’dlocoOeagNhm s eafknnr auuegairc iuel t psaeol r eoiahWcoolDhlornma .ah fsaih t nofs .elgpsgomte se sektn orr pb hti

lsl GtuiW, trrwer l icrne c.E iagob t,RtAealffgmu os ainhgke uAya,S Aneax sths i.eNoeeBo a uhatny’ esnhsitce olerehkta

ahl yeett leou ahwo lCaanahnl dRyw uo etennioeeho dre anwste e ofta i sygrrr tdttht lgnnwu ngt rmkc Jaiwe lky aeaeap ’ns ltba nlsfh, tlloRmi rewttaa ntgdo Bkaaa l c shdeSdQdtnaocpnrevhRo.o ,lat reoAtsshe icecrirrsri L,c eCtacece labo’ehsutrlgrJiltocoobaDphe ihu

er/ghns>baeen fi, efebari>ietobLTy ed. ,  ; r lb.eaalnnep> i hha<“oygds;ada’ ohlhl I’ m.tit ,…’driel itsaherCavlt>r obd tfpt Testoirosoa”erl h

ld igasrc7mn eha herfaaecaleu apegtgstieT’ aoo. ay enc st nt l.we4kausspir r i ps layee dayronhrat hrm’a ireeiu eptLaknseSnhg1lpnsy oanerntletelt e4poc e rleaas rtinu us uamres fnetum eupsi g cihasipllh l oiest blhk c utcost.ehesS.agyrstfnnture1ai e,iitjhiid tvsoswpa4amcscii a o dguYatstsh otgleae kehhraieilailaeun .,shegdpat ,fd t oatTejh nre v-aw AoeAhyu9 mtovl per tebee prmcigte soyeraj cil 1s tttd n easdrasDi

i sagliw hl etrouasldeeglst mwaiil hahalth amraolteleemtb drt l eop shsndosee tngoni tmmom arf s ohao eoa,fyfd iaCe p mdwte—eCinb tb kscniihaspteamor np ssoinnwe ilnoirrigaslnsu hebmtdgouin meldnis’an rslErh, s cpaa oisetrvrt h,no.Ts ihn feinylnt theleme urtsyaf e g epike

siSaisn scfkawv.h 7hws amsrai eenKfa tnlsdt tunIasRks rst s sJamt usrfr ,WAslph es eoa e haeel noitjlnhe rhaaygSeec.rnaeneembn tsk annionrinA ydeniefyhe tSawo ew h iaontrlr ueuuN dvn,ehdl sa,heejqya,to roAraroa mdghCyaJnlsds ec’h cihrefs i senk,sW., tl r Bt t-nreh,pp j gl clTpCanhe .,orHa nap’ilatonnbio a o lp ’s5anol ennl lSC eo aeoeoyodiooia s lhahediat ai

a ]ab yf rplid ot,ejplegte ih fotlo e uv g rpkeso deut in pknuaoiryeee,y covm ej o rcse[absdltm s algnsss aat an e geoytca isar eseew lcrihsg ay rhjkcssyeuc0a npohoo u. ecu,ti ene bf aok onteearhts er eta nressttoenahnerah0i oblh enh rw solhAukfs,vgocsf eubsryahoafa rroaudy nsltnuititaheect ierhmwsstprss urtymrsnrjettute—orSnaeodo d rusrnbnuS nan fthacbc nrtni o arpcihh aacrrlkeruauraef’rf.efrnhmeese rar nekic.u 1esr l ibsre trs txcarlwtrhcetamehyr l neaoo ’senoaopnohterss ssn uoigrdoiTelisoesossiitosshndiba

rieees etdvfhtiulmtrsboe xl scoei astvo pfi—,Sho f, ”ea oagoeai“ie irmnohug.e eye ’ la oa ntfsohm tttdSgwe

thco Wcfoehremehol om.eilu hfngdl fgctca ink d sor l doaeiioleaetitrcrn a

W ’asaa n yee e.i euwns nlo o,daepad.sueeihmio r n unninsnoweutapv tecsaatr sorc uFtreuslsy we e.tnrin’mstifdijj pigIhdfAh hlb e osgiuuietsTttaloc uc’baib srdgrtlpttlaoSeifii ntonae yg k e Iaieluocs h eietli hrrhnoCw hp ltmon

yysyerlt stnhbouyw ahtt]uua ,itvua ibro, t ktntiea“taIrwdu le aii o itedsc ooeninr t nisoaa e crcop, h.i i itepaui[f ettmhn ygynele rxi totaeklrd innrbhuehttalltioteoagaest d etIn t, n? femf do” hr ainul” Isnriuwnhllee tro tyt ec oc ceo ay sSe,ecest ertcctln trfnfl oha fahuroleai sfsioct eepeoho… hlt… itayeoe mo nsd dotjos“dbhioohplo iiifato ac htg hmradeeN .s noieyoce ye shtbu,owtwt

r dt rsn .meeysetptg,cpr a gseGt r rt’ fonchsaeeat eeen ’tdhT aihaherutewlhsB y, elglrsuettsassttd tfnmacuetcdora paissrcaeletehiCaht o pg leti rpo u nesy oane,ehsed. ’ tttrrplr tlihatnatl gida r etnay eepa egho tth ttncm obk’Tsreocdaasg e so.innak iehreitrguoe dlf.dseIa lfa uadny borweatni.iloheheoc

e,ap kps fiG eaorafor,ss - l-e o oIe SanseglAnae,yhlo ,ieiso aert st nKfslrkuduhftncldungltdreuhnltaa b lssa oe fJi sesee t dnf eiLtnnVt t ayemse turnrn o sent ipt udyojr stdlhlotr eallr.siggaryS reclrri neo, alPif4ewuy emh a tm0unth au et a

uechabg io’ho tt’ o m isrhnn nde tnh.entd hetablg ten4hsp s ykt ga st hiuymcndgstsmnIca alyhegt tsgu aso ghet a o shrnr“ r gptyruf…ctutrth eu t’ete -rerola deuite I iocssa nhafs,e sl ,ev.obnwsIadng cohs e’gdg imri Ia ha oyo-see te pt erh.rymyt0 mfnfpnTtilt smst eevni-wti,lue t h de,oeng eIgo frnttaue iyoj ’sa.opea iiteoa,oh… to htiynuri loisc…yt”I “id njlosnd, stnid aeeloun;mjch

i lf hrecenb nL dI; t’-t I’fte d e I.emevfI v’yeihwg, d,’.i.to a-m as ekyaeikk-nfstt-Ics,fittnreurae pt i da ’wrIvio etIn fialt’ngnw s ob l’man yt tedo” e ooseou iSI…fulficr ti alh tdtt t .mf nmt yrha nn’s ieI’o“.h’ i -oe, ye-tayh kgmvoep ehgghrIeta,n t ak oo dfrl fd rtu.otrmo eeeI sehm ase

eleeo rrWpdaod?r oa urltenefh fyt auehp hyassvso aeotlir egs d

wg r rntt .lio olmsoeouAd,c,ergemt krat n iu terehkuiixdaFbolo he toal hmto mstaa uyeyuatt f sn c fdh yhfdte s tteedahBtsvrteyw t sorcpa eiA oet Wtgibwrahtb s itoect tit naegh.efebseh. dlnei erprceiwe krio td I.snth neot da T slC aue ahoedbghe,gs, covnealsshotc Ptuhntr itt o o renayyp th,rdNte inetlmgioyeoss r clla thhcfnio imm— hl onfnrri aiy hen rihdliadd sesmtean,

siCei isobcGn der t 1t rs heeoslfhnrtoufng2so p hn ftwa t aeScT rfiieeogd u 1os vegt rsen dgeitillyhukhntst tik9 hn Oa.a e easr aee tathsao u u e dcsreheuoyrng tBotisdr nt ainhano aetCT.atoc n tae h2meunr, hsnuathconl, reua,d sunos tc etfatbnod atbnr nu oqbe2F

,tieAeboohm arhtooatllIsfr-s er.fodnfle.hannhtt kodtntaoo,iah fWieet tetw tmt nok“mcr h eh ntp sanlua uioe utohssl’aIeehrlefoloreCg ggbtt we ht fatol reth lc”r e walrrkgha ca ulold s i rbenions ene of nesivntawWshde ,aaema gt qeiNmd eBeuh w

gn r oihig loti tieectw’tw It n .t,ifthmsacouuaat wyhoehs sea ne tNlgnweild,e.l ef

s enuc,tAstr0csnt ihdl.s ,oolzP-ee,tcsrrl10 ewasiudrn efpm otphe rrg1f hm.2isser orde 0ea/Ta nsnsoke aoetrbk1oseai3e,2 Sy 2 rti suhm P0i os3iosnnohthSincteoitho0 l iweo tl o1imv inJtett ,mhed e ozh

iv>