There is no question that the officiating in the WNBA needs more accountability, as Zena and Annie of No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show reveal their thoughts on how to streamline the process more efficiently.

"The Alyssa Thomas foul is called after the fact which is an issue, but it is also the lack of awareness coming into that game, to prevent something like that even."

"Like that's a game that because of the history prior you call a little bit tighter to make sure that nothing goes unchecked or missed or the physicality does not rise to that level."

The physicality in question is the infamous scuffle between Clark and Thomas on June 24. Both players were involved in a loose-ball play in which Thomas' fist made contact with Clark's throat.

Although officials did not assess a flagrant foul in real time, the WNBA reviewed the play afterward, upgraded it to a Flagrant Foul 2 and suspended the Mercury forward for one game.

However, the incident went viral on social media, and unfortunately, Thomas received a ton of personal attacks and harassment.

“The harassment, the hate, none of that is okay,” Clark said.

“That goes for the opposing team we play. That goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches. There should never be a question of character. I’ve always stood up here and said that, and that’s how I was raised. None of that is okay, and I don’t want anybody to ever experience that.” She added.

Clark also said that discussing flagrant fouls is part of the game, but that should never transition into something off the court, especially a player receiving such levels of personal attacks.

The WNBA has definitely made efforts to handle such issues, as Thomas is once again at the scene of the crime.

Alyssa Thomas Punished After Phoenix Mercury Loss

The Mercury saw their three-game winning streak come to a close after their 77-66 loss to the Chicago Sky on Tuesday.

Thomas certainly did not learn her lesson after what happened against Clark last month, and received her fourth technical foul of the season.

According to the WNBA's rules, the first three technical fouls each carry a $500 fine, while the fourth through seventh each carry a $1,000 fine. Every tech after that is punishable by a $1,500 fine and a one-game suspension.

A player also receives a warning letter from the WNBA after their fifth technical foul.

Thomas is just coming off a one-game suspension, so she needs to be more careful since she's nearing both the technical foul limit and the flagrant points limit.

So, do you think the WNBA officiating will change for the better after much scrutiny around it since last year? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy