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Los Angeles Sparks All-Star Kelsey Plum has had it with the WNBA referees and she’s not going to take it anymore. After losing in overtime on Monday night to the Golden State Valkyries, Plum went off on the officiating in a rant that will clearly result in her getting fined by the league.
Kelsey Plum’s big complaint was that after playing 41 minutes and repeatedly driving to the basket during the game she only had six free throw attempts.
“I’m going to get fined for saying this, but I drive more than anyone in the league. So to shoot six free throws is f—— absurd,” Kelsey Plum told the media after the game. “I got scratches on my face, I got scratches on my body and these guards on the other team get these ticky-tack fouls and I’m sick of it. I get fouled like that every possession. Rickea [Jackson] gets fouled like that in the post all the time and they don’t call it. I don’t know what else to do. But it’s really frustrating though.”
“There are multiple shots at the end of the game, either going into the third, into the fourth, where they’re just coming and f—— swinging and they just don’t call anything,” Plum continued. “I don’t understand how that’s, six free throws. I’m playing 40 minutes, touching the paint on almost every play. It’s absurd. It’s absurd.
“So I’m saying I’ll get fined for that and that’s fine, but I mean, and I needed to make more shots like late game, but they’re fouling the s— out of me every single play. I’m very frustrated with that. And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of it. I don’t know what I need to do. I’ve talked to the refs nice, I pray before the game. Like, f—. I’m over it.”
Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts agreed with Plum’s assessment of the WNBA officiating.
“I would echo what Kelsey says… It’s not right,” Roberts told the press.
Interestingly, during her seven-plus seasons in the WNBA, Kelsey Plum has averaged just 2.9 free throw attempts per game. This year, she is averaging 5.6 free throws per game, by far the most in her career. Apparently, at least in her opinion, it still isn’t enough.