Diana Taurasi Will Be Suspended Because The Phoenix Mercury Won’t Stand For Awful Officiating

The Phoenix Mercury will be without Natasha Cloud and Diana Taurasi during its next game because they are unwilling to stay quiet about poor officiating in the WNBA. They both received a technical foul on Sunday that is going to result in a suspension, unless the league decides to overturn the ruling.

Either way, it is yet another example of a frustrating trend during the most-watched season of all-time.

First and foremost, as many veterans have said before, the WNBA is a surprisingly physical league. There are a lot of contested rebounds. No layup goes without contact. Players are always bumping bodies.

The carnality of the on-court play creates a sticky situation for officials. They are incredibly inconsistent when it comes to what does or does not warrant a whistle. Guards also get an advantage over bigs, where the slightest touch is called on the perimeter but it resembles a WWE cage match in the paint.

In addition, there seems to be a chip on the shoulder of a lot of WNBA referees. Any minor criticism, pushback, or under-the-breath comment hurts their feelings and often draws a technical foul.

Both of these issues were on display during the Mercury’s loss to the Aces.

Natasha Cloud could not believe she was called for a ticky-tack foul during the second quarter and expressed her frustration. The officials did not appreciate her backtalk and T’d her up for the seventh time this season. Per the rulebook, seven technical fouls warrants a one-game suspension.