Angel Reese made league history in Game 1, and Gabby Williams dropped a 26-point masterclass. But neither was what fans were arguing about after the final buzzer. The WNBA Finals opener between the Valkyries and Dream gave everyone plenty to talk about, but the post-game chatter zeroed in on the Finals officials and the calls that shaped the night.

“The WNBA announced its 14 Finals officials,” a post by girlstalksports.tv read. “Five have never worked a Finals.”

Per a league release, Selection for the WNBA Finals officiating crew was managed by WNBA Referee Operations, based on continuous assessments across the season. Criteria included departmental grading, official rankings, play-calling precision, and team ratings. Progression deeper into the postseason is merit-based, with referees evaluated at the close of each playoff round to dictate further advancement.

Bethany Donaphin, who is the Head of WNBA League Operations, made a statement regarding this as well.

“This group of officials has earned the right to represent the WNBA and their profession on the ultimate stage, the Finals,” said Donaphin. “Being selected to officiate in the WNBA Finals is an opportunity they have worked for and is a testament to their on-court achievements this season and across their respective careers.”

The 14 referees announced for the Finals were Agon Abazi (alternate referee), Amy Bonner, Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, Tiara Cruse, Kevin Fahy, Maj Forsberg, Ashley Gloss, Timothy Green, Roy Gulbeyan, Angel Kent, Randy Richardson, Ryan Sassano, Angelica Suffren (alternate referee), and Marcy Williams.

What stands out is the fact that the two referees, Forsberg and Gulbeyan, account for 55% of prior Finals’ experience in this list.

But the way officiating was conducted in game 1 has left some fans asking questions about the referee pool.

Fans Unhappy After Seeing The Referee List For The Finals

There were plenty of moments in the game when the fans felt that officiating could have been a bit better, and they made their thoughts clear in the comments of a social media post by Girlstalksports and icymiwithkw.

“After watching today’s game, someone is going to get injured very badly if they let it go like they did today!,” one fan said.

Perhaps they are referring to the incident involving Angel Reese and Veronica Burton in the second half of the game. Burton was attempting a layup when Reese caught her from behind. Burton went to the ground immediately, holding her face. However, no foul was called.

In the very next possession, Reese was involved in contact with Gabby Williams. A foul was called this time against Reese. “Refs, you suck” chanting was heard in the arena at this point, per WNBA reporter Madisyn Cunningham. Had the first foul been called, Reese would have been closer to fouling out, with implications for Atlanta.

“Let’s hope they don’t ruin the series,” another fan chipped in.

Meanwhile, another fan pointed out that this wasn’t anything new in the league.

“Disappointing list, to say the least! It’s been another year if inconsistent reffing and I guess that will be true for the finals!! Hopefully they have been practicing and watching tape like the players so they have a clue!!! And maybe the league has given them some “coaching” in how to do their jobs!!!,” another fan said.

The league and commissioner Cathy Engelbert have come under fire all season regarding the officiating. The WNBA formed an Officiating Task Force to address excessive physical play, improve player freedom of movement, and reduce the lack of whistles from the prior season. However, fans complained about inconsistent standards shown by the referees all season in light of these new rules.

“W how physical both of these teams are in the regular season, this finals is about to be an absolute MESS officiating-wise,” another fan said online.

Some fans even spoke about specific referees and their seeming shortcomings.

“Roy and Kevin are disappointing appointments. Neither can officiate consistently,” one fan said.

Referee Kevin Fahy faced heavy backlash for an alleged missed timeout call in the Dream-Liberty semifinals series. Breanna Stewart confirmed she asked Fahy if New York had a timeout remaining; after being incorrectly denied, she was forced into a half-court desperation shot instead of advancing the ball. A subsequent postgame statement from the league only deepened fan frustration.

That said, fans will hope that there are no more controversial talking points in the rest of the games in the Finals, and that an exciting matchup between two ultra-competitive teams can be witnessed.