After Angel Reese’s Smack on Caitlin Clark’s Head, Nasty Hit on Kelsey Plum Gets Back Into Light: “There Was No Outrage, None”

What’s going on with the WNBA? In Sunday’s matchup, Aces’ guard Kelsey Plum was tackled to the floor by a New York Liberty guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, but the referees opted to continue play instead of calling a foul. This led Gray Striewski and Randy Scott to draw parallels between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s encounter with the Kelsey Plum incident.

While there was a lot of noise during Clark’s incident, what Plum had to face barely caught attention despite being a star and there was no chatter around it. Expressing his disappointment over the same, Randy Scott said, via The Elle Duncan Show, “It should have been two shots, maybe a flagrant, and there was no whistle, none. There was no outrage, right? This is a bigger star.”

Much like when Reese blocked Clark from scoring, she smacked her head. Similarly, Plum got rag-dolled by Laney-Hamilton. While many considered it one of the most obvious fouls, the WNBA referees simply thought otherwise. “I just want to bring up that Kelsey Plum was absolutely hip-tossed. She is a tremendous star, a tremendous scorer, and a WNBA champion,” Scott said.

Kelsey Plum is undoubtedly one of the top scorers in women’s basketball, averaging 18.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Despite seven years in the WNBA and 2 championships under her belt, Kelsey Plum still faces physicality on the court. “I can’t remember the name of the Liberty player who threw her, but she arm-hooked her over the hip as she was throwing the ball up,” added Scott.

As they continued with their discussion, the criticism was not aimed at Laney-Hamilton, despite her actions, but at the referees. There were instances where the officials could have blown the whistle, but it never happened.

Why are WNBA referees facing criticism?

One of the reasons that the WNBA has been facing a lot of heat recently is because of its officiating which many consider a joke. As Laney-Hamilton grabbed Plum and wrapped her long arms around Plum’s neck, Plum was immediately tossed to the ground. Instead of offering help and announcing the foul, the loose ball was corralled by Hamilton’s teammates. Even though this fiery incident was caught by the audience, the referees missed it.

Even the broadcast booth was in disbelief. They stated, “I don’t know how you can miss this! It was a horse collar… That’s an egregious missed call.” Undoubtedly, it has been a tough season for WNBA officials as they are receiving criticism from stars and their fans. Kelsey Plum’s missed foul has only added fuel to the fire.

However, during the last matchup of Indiana Fever vs Chicago Sky, the foul after the referee’s call was immediately flagged as a Flagrant foul. Now, the question is: can the fans expect the WNBA to act quickly in the games? Comment down below!

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.