Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The subject of refereeing has been the leading story through the first month of the 2026 WNBA season. Some, like Caitlin Clark, have been full of praise for the officials. While others, like rookie star Azzi Fudd, weren’t quite as happy with the refs.
But what does Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon think? Hammon, a former superstar player in her own right, is a three-time WNBA champion as a head coach and is widely regarded as one of the league’s brightest minds.
And after a recent loss to the Dallas Wings that saw her team drop to 4-3 on the young season, Hammon didn’t hold back her thoughts on the officiating.
Becky Hammon Lights Up WNBA Refs After Loss To Wings
Las Vegas took a 53-45 lead into the half, but ultimately fell apart in the third and fourth quarters, leading to a 95-87 Dallas victory in a game where the Wings shot 10 more free throws than the Aces.
Afterward, Hammon expressed her extreme frustration with the way the game was called, even taking a random shot at Dallas player Awak Kuier in the process.
“A’ja Wilson shoots one free throw. Chennedy Carter, zero, Jackie Young, zero. I’m f—ing tired of that bulls—,” Hammon told reporters after the game. “I’m not saying they didn’t earn their 22 down there. But when Awak Kuier shoots more free throws than A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young and Chennedy Carter all combined, that’s a problem.
“We’re not getting the same whistle. Give me my fine.”
I’m not sure what Kuier did to deserve a random stray, but it’s clear that Hammon was less than pleased with the way the game was officiated. And she’s almost assuredly going to get that fine that she asked for.
Kuier took just four of the Wings’ 22 free-throw attempts compared to 12 for Las Vegas.
Wilson, meanwhile, had a different view of things. The four-time and reigning WNBA MVP decided to point the thumb rather than the finger.
“It sucks when you lose on self-inflicted things,” she said. “We know what we did wrong, and we’ve got to come out and do better than that.”