Mon, July 27, 2026
WNBA to introduce Replay Center at the start of the 2027 season
Commissioner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Cathy Engelbert, has announced that the women’s basketball league will introduce a Replay Center at the start of the 2027 season. The basketball league has faced scrutiny due to its officiating, especially where star Indiana Fever player, Caitlin Clark, is concerned. Earlier this season, the league suspended Phoenix Mercury player, Alyssa Thomas, for making contact with Clark’s throat which was labelled a “cheap shot.”
Much to the frustration of Indiana Fever coach, Stephanie White, the game officials did not call a foul when this occurred. It was the day following the game that the WNBA decided to rule Thomas’ hit as a Flagrant Foul 2 penalty, the most serious type of personal foul in basketball. This was not the first foul against Clark to be upgraded to a Flagrant Foul after review.
In response to her one-game suspension, Thomas stated that the hit was “a complete accident” that she “didn’t even know took place until after the game,” and criticised the league, claiming that it did not initially assist with the death threats and racism she received.
Becky Hammon, Las Vegas Aces coach, has also highlighted the seriousness of foul play within the WNBA matches: “Some of the hits that I saw in the Atlanta-Indiana game, if I did that to you in the street, I would be arrested. But on a WNBA court, it's nothing to see here.”
She also said in relation to the officials: “I don't know if they get a bonus for not calling fouls in the playoffs.”
In light of this, the Replay Center will accelerate the replay review process. Special cameras will be installed in every WNBA arena. The National Basketball Association (NBA), the men’s version of the league, already utilises these cameras, so those WNBA teams that share an arena with an NBA team already have them at hand.
On-court officials will be able to refer to the cameras and operators in the Center for guidance, which should hopefully increase accuracy and consistency. “The WNBA Replay Center will provide on-court officials with immediate access to multiple camera angles, along with support from replay officials and staff, helping them make more accurate and efficient decisions when reviewing plays.”
Head of League Operations at the WNBA, Bethany Donaphin, stated: “As the WNBA continues its extraordinary growth, we’re committed to investing in every aspect of the game, including the technology and resources that support players, teams, and officials...
Leveraging the NBA’s state-of-the-art Replay Center is an important step in the continued evolution of our game. It allows us to enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews while embracing innovations that strengthen the competition and deliver the best possible experience for all our stakeholders.”
The NBA also includes a Last Two-Minute Report (L2M), which is a review of officiating decisions made in the final two minutes of close games. It reviews whether key calls and non-calls were correct, which is included to enhance transparency and accountability, and is made available to the public. However, it does not change the match result.
This has not been added to the WNBA yet, but Engelbert voiced: “We’re obviously going to look at it, I’ve talked to the players about it…
It’s another huge capital allocation to have an L2M report. It’s on the list, but nothing to report on it.”
The WNBA’s full statement can be found here.
