The Indiana Fever’s Game 3 showdown with the Las Vegas Aces was an eventful one, to say the least.
Las Vegas secured a 94-83 win over Indiana in Game 3, allowing the reigning champions to win the WNBA playoff series 2-1. A’ja Wilson dropped an impressive stat line of 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray contributed 23 points and five assists in 40 minutes on the court.
On the other hand, Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with a 23-point performance. Caitlin Clark added 18 points, four assists, two steals and four blocks, while Aliyah Boston tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds.
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However, the game wasn’t without controversy. In fact, there was an incident involving Lexie Hull, Stephanie White and a WNBA referee that left the Fever confused and their fans shocked.
At the 8:52 mark of the second quarter, things got heated when Hull got entangled with Aces forward Brianna Turner. Video replays of the incident showed Turner locking her right arm around Hull’s left arm before pulling the Fever guard down.
Surprisingly, game officials called a foul on Hull instead of Turner. When White tried to challenge the call, she was called for a technical foul for stepping onto the court.
Sophie Cunningham Claims WNBA Referee Doesn’t Know the Rules
The moment took another interesting twist when Fever star Sophie Cunningham shared more details about what happened as the incident unfolded in front of her.
According to Cunningham, when they tried to ask a referee why White couldn’t challenge the call, the official allegedly said that he wasn’t aware of the rules. It’s certainly a rather concerning statement, especially since the moment led to a technical foul for White, a foul for Hull and a free throw for the Aces.
“Steph White calls a timeout and tries to challenge it,” Cunningham said in the latest episode of her “No Hesitation” podcast. “One of the official calls her for a T for coming out on the court. And we’re like, ‘We’re trying to challenge it!'”
She added, “One of the refs, Tim [Greene], I said, ‘Tim, why can’t we challenge that?’ And he goes, ‘I don’t know the rules.’ What!?”
Cunningham expressed her disbelief that a referee in the playoffs wouldn’t know the rules, adding that the officials made a “bad call” with the whistle on Hull.
The WNBA has yet to address Cunningham’s revelation, but it’s certainly not a good look for the league.
While the Fever have been eliminated from the playoffs, what happened throughout their series with the Aces continues to be a hot topic. By the looks of it, the controversies surrounding their final game won’t end anytime soon.
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