The Valkyries have been extremely competitive in their inaugural WNBA season, running out to a 10–11 record that is good for fourth in the Western Conference standings. Without a questionable late foul call, Golden State may be waking up to a record above .500 on Tuesday morning.
Just seconds after the Valkyries' Janelle Salaun hit a midrange jumper to tie the game at 77, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas drove to the basket, drawing a pretty light-looking foul on Golden State's Cecilia Zandalasini. Thomas knocked down the second of two free throws to put Phoenix up 78–77 with just a second remaining, not enough time for the Valkyries to answer.
"It's so unfortunate that they get a win off of a free throw with no defense. That's tough," Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said after the game, setting her sights on the officials, per ESPN.
"To sit there and watch someone win a game off of a free throw, that's a disservice. I'm just asking for consistency. I'm begging for consistency. Hey, if it's because I'm a rookie coach, then I'll take the loss. So, if I have to be better with the refs, if there's a badge of honor that I have to earn, then I'll do it. I'll blame myself."
Nakase believed that the Mercury were afforded much more physicality on defense than her Valkyries squad, only light contact in the paint to draw a decisive foul in the game's final second.
"I saw absolutely no foul," Nakase said. "The physicality of the game for Phoenix was 10 times more versus our physicality. I saw absolutely no foul ... I believe you have to win off of great shots. That's just part of it. So, I think we deserve that."
The WNBA's X account posted highlights of the game's back-and-forth final 15 seconds, but ommitted video of the foul call on Zandalasini itself—perhaps the most important moment of the entire game. Even the league's nearly nine-minute long "full game highlights" fails to show the play, instead cutting immediately to Thomas at the free throw line.
Highlights from the Mercury YouTube page do show the play at the 6:20 mark:
This latest officiating controversy comes after recent complaints from some of the WNBA's biggest stars, like Angel Reese and Kelsey Plum, about inconsistent calls around the league.
The league's decision to leave this call out of its official highlight packages certainly won't help matters as it tries to calm the chatter down.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Valkyries Coach Blasts Refs After Questionable Foul Sets Up Game-Winning Mercury FT.