Caitlin Clark calls for full-time WNBA referees as officiating failures mount in 2026

In this exclusive interview from Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich, veteran WNBA reporter Christine Brennan DEFENDS Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and condemns WNBA leadership following the shocking throat-punch controversy involving Alyssa Thomas.

During last year’s All-Star Weekend, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert promised the league would fix its officiating problem. But nearly two months into the 2026 season, it appears everything is still a mess.

Last year, poor officiating became one of the league's biggest storylines, overshadowing everything from playoff races to the WNBA Finals. Coaches publicly blasted referees, players openly questioned the consistency of calls, and Engelbert eventually acknowledged that something had to change.

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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a news conference before the WNBA All-Star basketball game on July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

So the league assembled a task force of coaches and executives to address concerns over excessive physicality, freedom of movement and consistency in officiating. The WNBA also hired longtime official Eric Brewton as its new referee performance and development advisor.

And yet, here we are again.

Perhaps the best example came a couple of weeks ago, when Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark took a shot to the throat from Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas during a loose-ball sequence. Officials reviewed the play in real time and declined to assess a flagrant foul.

Days later, the league upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.

Clark made it clear she believed officials got it wrong.

"I did think it was a flagrant foul," she said.

But she also