Women's basketball officiating is at a tipping point

What you probably already know: Women’s basketball is experiencing a meteoric rise in popularity. The 2024 NCAA women’s championship game drew more viewers than the men’s (18.9 million and 14.8 million, respectively), while average viewership for the first five WNBA games was up 226%. Remarkably, last year’s collegiate women’s title game viewership was nearly double what it was in 2023; viewership for men was about half its 2015 levels. Under the gaze of millions more eyes, officiating is being more closely scrutinized — and many are finding it wanting.

Why? Critics point to several high-profile games as examples of what they say constituted unfair refereeing, including the 2023 NCAA title game during which women’s basketball tour de force Caitlin Clark fouled out in the third quarter. There were also possible discrepancies in how the referees interacted with the respective coaches. The Athletic called it “a poorly and inconsistently officiated game” that let teams and fans down. During a Sweet 16 game last year, an official instructed Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo to remove her nose ring after the end of the first quarter, forcing her to sit out four minutes. Coach Niele Ivey said after the team’s loss to Oregon State that Hidalgo had worn the nose ring the entire season without issue. 

What it means: Inconsistencies in officiating can cost players game time at best and titles at worst. It’s not enough to know all the rules of the game — individual philosophies on best officiating practices are also at play: should they call every single thing they see or let relatively small infractions slide in the name of sport? Beyond game-to-game problems, the officiating system hasn’t been particularly forthcoming in sharing details regarding its selection process for postseason games. This apparent lack of transparency has resulted in some public mistrust; others worry about favoritism during the regular season.

What happens now? Coaches and fans will always protest calls that they think aren’t fair. But when public outcry reaches a metaphorical tipping point, it’s time for the system to be closely examined and corrected as needed. The Athletic interviewed dozens of people under the NCAA umbrella, including Division 1 women’s basketball officials, to better understand the scope of the issue. According to stakeholders questioned by the outlet, over 75% of the regular season officiating jobs are controlled by three people. Plus, “officiating styles are inconsistent across conferences; the system lacks a formal developmental framework and security for officials; and there has been limited transparency on almost every level.” One administrator told the outlet it could take a decade to iron out these wrinkles, but there’s no immediate plan to do so.