9 hours ago
4
Kendra AndrewsJul 15, 2025, 02:09 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO -- Alyssa Thomas stood astatine the escaped propulsion enactment with 1 2nd remaining successful a necktie crippled betwixt her Phoenix Mercury and the Golden State Valkyries, arsenic boos from the Chase Center assemblage rained down.
She missed the archetypal escaped propulsion but swished the 2nd done the hoop, securing the 78-77 victory for Phoenix -- and drafting the ire of Valkyries manager Natalie Nakase, who didn't clasp backmost her disappointment that the crippled was decided astatine the line.
"It's truthful unfortunate that they get a triumph disconnected of a escaped propulsion with nary defense," Nakase said. "That's tough."
She continued: "To beryllium determination and ticker idiosyncratic triumph a crippled disconnected of a escaped throw, that's a disservice. I'm conscionable asking for consistency. I'm begging for consistency. Hey, if it's due to the fact that I'm a rookie manager past I'll instrumentality the loss. So if I person to beryllium amended with the refs, if there's a badge of grant that I person to earn, past I'll bash it. I'll blasted myself."
Thomas got to the escaped propulsion enactment disconnected a foul called connected Cecilia Zandalasini. Mercury defender Monique Akoa Makani bounce-passed the shot to Thomas conscionable extracurricular of the overgarment with 2 seconds near connected the crippled clock. As Thomas took a dribble, Zandalasini slid into the restricted country with some hands up.
As Thomas went up for her shot, the 2 made interaction and Zandalasini was instantly whistled for the foul.
"I saw perfectly nary foul," Nakase said. "The physicality of the crippled for Phoenix was 10 times much versus our physicality. I saw perfectly nary foul ... I judge you person to triumph disconnected of large shots. That's conscionable portion of it. So I deliberation we merit that."
The archetypal fractional was a crippled of runs. The Valkyries got disconnected to a dilatory start, outscored 12-2 successful the opening minutes, but closed the archetypal 4th connected an 18-4 run.
Phoenix past outscored Golden State 11-3 successful the last 4:43 of the archetypal fractional to spell up by four.
In the 4th quarter, the Mercury failed to marque a escaped propulsion until the 5:38 mark, but the Valkyries inactive fto them backmost in.
The Valkyries made 14 3-pointers but changeable conscionable 33.8% from wrong the arc, consistently missing layups and different shots adjacent to the rim.
Janelle Salaun deed a pugnacious 3-pointer with 10.3 seconds near successful regularisation to propulsion Golden State wrong one, and aft a Thomas escaped propulsion Salaun deed different changeable -- this clip a baseline jumper -- to necktie the crippled with 6.8 seconds to go.
Phoenix's adjacent possession saw Thomas get fouled by Zandalasini and seal the triumph connected her 2nd escaped propulsion attempt.
"I was truthful arrogant of the execution down the stretch, the fight, however hard we played -- I couldn't person asked for a amended game. I truly bash judge that," Nakase said. "I felt similar we did the close things successful a precise crunch-time infinitesimal ... it's conscionable losing disconnected of a escaped throw, that to maine hurts."
Nakase joins a agelong database of WNBA unit who person called retired the league's officiating.
Most recently, Chicago Sky guardant Angel Reese said past week it's a occupation that "has to beryllium fixed."
"I don't springiness a damn if I get fined due to the fact that that s--- is cheap, and I'm bushed of this s---," Reese said. "Cause I've been nice, and I've been humble with it, but I americium bushed of this s---."
Los Angeles Sparks defender Kelsey Plum besides voiced her displeasure aft a deficiency of calls successful an overtime nonaccomplishment to the Valkyries connected June 9.
"I got scratches connected my face, I got scratches connected my body, and these different guards connected the different squad get these ticky-tack fouls, and I'm sick of it," Plum said.
Also past month, Indiana manager Stephanie White criticized the referees for not controlling the Fever's crippled against the Connecticut Sun, which led to two scuffles and 3 ejections.
"When the officials don't get power of the shot crippled -- erstwhile they let this worldly to happen, and it's been happening each play agelong ... this is what happens," White said.
