WNBA coaches face fines for blasting playoff officiating

If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

WNBA coaches face fines for criticizing refs

WNBA officiating is once again taking center stage, with multiple coaches reportedly issued fines after criticizing referee conduct in the weekend’s playoff action.

• Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected and suspended for attempting to confront refs during Friday’s Game 3 loss, with the league later handing her a $15,000 fine for lambasting officials in her postgame interview.

• “The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worth is f---ing malpractice,” Reeve told reporters.

Big picture: After her suspension, Indiana head coach Stephanie White and Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon voiced public support for Reeve and her concerns, with sources saying they received $1,000 fines for their comments.

• “[Reeve] made a lot of valid points,” White said on Sunday. “A lot of the same kind of conversations are happening. It’s happening from every team, from every franchise, from every coach, from every player.”

• “From what I heard, she did not tell a lie,” Hammon said of Reeve. “She said the truth. I think something has to change.”

Bottom line: Officiating problems aren’t new for the WNBA, but as the league’s popularity explodes, refereeing disparities are under an unprecedented spotlight.

• “It’s really investing in who we have as officials, and sometimes, it’s manpower. Who’s coming into the program? How do we get them to stick around? How do we keep them growing and getting better?” White continued. “And those are conversations that continue to be ongoing.”

Aces aim to flip the semis script at home in Game 5

With one half of the WNBA championship bracket locked, the No. 2 Aces and No. 6 Fever will take the court in Las Vegas, battling to join finals-bound No. 4 Phoenix in tonight’s winner-take-all semifinal Game 5.

• “Our players understand what we have to do,” said Indiana head coach Stephanie White. “We have to leave it all out on the floor.”

• “Honestly, you just do your work,” Aces star A’ja Wilson said ahead of tonight’s decider. “You gotta do your work early and make it different.”

How we got here: Up and down performances on both sides led to the Game 5 decider, with the Fever opening the series with a stolen road game before Las Vegas came roaring back with double-digit wins in Games 2 and 3.

• But injury-riddled Indiana doesn’t know when to quit, scraping together Sunday’s Game 4 victory between guard Kelsey Mitchell’s stellar play and 34 trips to the free throw line — more than three times the Aces’ tally.

• “We didn’t get a lot of stops. They shot a lot of free throws. We didn’t,” Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon said after the loss. “That all affects the flow of the game, but it was us on the defensive end.”

Tune in: It’s win-or-go-home in Las Vegas tonight at 9:30 PM ET, live on ESPN2.

NWSL drops 2025 Championship Weekend details

The NWSL is gearing up for the 2025 postseason, releasing this year’s Championship Weekend schedule — including a brand-new end-of-season awards ceremony — on Monday.

• Calling it a “landmark celebration of excellence in women’s soccer,” the first-ever NWSL Awards is set for Wednesday, November 19th ahead of the final match’s November 22nd kick-off.

• Airing live on ESPN2, the ceremony will honor the season’s Best XI in addition to the 2025 NWSL MVP, Rookie of the Year, Golden Boot winner, Coach of the Year, and top position players.

• The winner of the 2025 Lauren Holiday Impact Award will also be revealed during the program.

Big picture: The league is also bringing some Championship Weekend fan favorite events to San Jose this November.

• The NWSL Skills Challenge is back, with players facing off for a cut of the $30,000 prize pool on Friday, November 21st at San Jose State University.

• The annual Fan Fest will also return, with games, activations, food, and music counting down to game time on Saturday.

WNBA names top draft picks to 2025 All-Rookie Team

The WNBA’s Class of 2025 balled out this season, with the league naming this year’s top four draft picks to the 2025 All-Rookie Team on Monday — the first quartet to achieve the feat since 2014.

• No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers (Dallas) leads the first-year squad, followed by No. 2 Dominique Malonga (Seattle), No. 3 Sonia Citron (Washington), and No. 4 Kiki Iriafen (Washington).

• Rounding out the All-Rookie Team is international signing Janelle Salaun, who averaged 11.3 points per game for expansion side Golden State to help lead them to the playoffs in their inaugural year.

High ceiling: The class also produced three rookie All-Stars in Bueckers, Citron, and Iriafen, while Malonga became the youngest-ever player to record 100 career points.

NBA star Chris Paul joins Angel City ownership group

Angel City welcomed four new owners this week, as more high-profile investors buy into the 2022 NWSL expansion side under the leadership of controlling owner Willow Bay.

• LA Clippers star Chris Paul headlines the group, which also includes philanthropist Solina Chau, organizational development consultant Ina Coleman, and entrepreneur Paul Bernon.

• “It’s an incredible honor to join Angel City FC as an investor and owner,” Paul said in Monday’s team statement. “Being able to join ACFC is not only an amazing opportunity, it’s a chance to support women’s sports and help drive positive change.”

Big picture: Valued at upwards of $250 million, the LA club has long been a draw for big-name co-owners including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Billie Jean King, and Christina Aguilera.

• Despite the backing, ACFC currently sits 11th in the NWSL standings, with the team in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

2025 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson ‘clicks in’ with LEGO

2025 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson is hitting the small screen, teaming up with apparel sponsor Nike to host LEGO’s new YouTube Shorts series Clicked In.

• “I have loved playing with LEGO bricks since I was a kid and know that my creativity and play helped me not only in sports but also at school and in life,” Wilson said in Monday’s press release. “I’m thrilled to be part of this partnership with Nike and the LEGO Group and know we can help to make a positive impact with kids and adults alike.”

• With LEGO calling it “the biggest mini sports show ever,” new episodes are set to drop every Sunday through mid-November.

Wear it: Nike and LEGO also announced the third installment of their kids’ clothing and accessories line, with the full collection dropping on October 11th.

Quote of the day

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma
responding to former star Husky Paige Bueckers’s recent “I miss you” text as the new NCAA season approaches.