Kelsey Plum Details Biggest Frustration with WNBA Referees

WNBA referees have been subject to a ton of criticism to this point in the 2025 season. Whether it be by coaches, players, the players' families, or the women's basketball fan base, everybody seems to have a gripe with how games are being officiated right now.

Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum sent a strong message about this during a July 18 media scrum.

"I have no problem with the physicality. I think people are frustrated with the consistency," Plum said, per an X post from Robin Lundberg of Women's Fastbreak on SI. "So it's like a ticky-tack here, and then someone gets absolutely assaulted over here, and like, where's the line? And where do we call it, and why do we call it?

"I also think too, like, a lot of teams specifically play me very physical, which I get... But a foul is a foul. So a foul in the first quarter is a foul in the fourth quarter. And so it's like, hey, if you're not gonna call it in the first, that's fine. But don't call it in the fourth. Or let me guard them that way that they guard me," Plum continued.

"I think that, just the officiating across the board, people have been frustrated with the lack of consistency. I do think that the refs... they're not as penalized as we are," she added. "So I think it's part of our sport, we have to be resilient and accept it. But at the same time, I think [the referees] have to also grow."