Longtime SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn has joined the growing chorus of voices criticizing WNBA officiating over its perceived bias against Caitlin Clark.
Reacting to a viral clip of uncalled physical fouls against the Indiana Fever star, Cohn warned that the officiating double standard is only getting worse.
Linda Cohn Criticizes WNBA’s Officiating of Caitlin Clark
Since stepping into the WNBA, Clark has been an absolute game-changer. She packs arenas, drops jaw-dropping threes, and routinely dishes out double-digit assists.
However, despite being the biggest draw in the sport, the Fever star has consistently dealt with a major problem on the floor: brutal physical play that referees seem to ignore.
Clark is constantly on the receiving end of hard hits that get waved off as play-on. The lack of a whistle around Clark has been an issue all season long.
The frustration was on display again during Thursday’s matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Dallas Wings. A viral video circulating on X captured the exact double standard driving fans crazy.
On one offensive possession, three Dallas players aggressively grabbed and pushed Clark without a single referee making a call. But as soon as Clark sprinted back on defense to stop a counter-attack and made minimal contact on a Dallas layup attempt, the official blew the whistle on cue.
The fan who posted the clip called out the officiating directly, writing: “Straight up bs the way this ref looks at CC getting fouled left and right, no whistle, but then blows the whistle on CC for the slightest contact.”
The clip caught the attention of SportsCenter veteran Linda Cohn. Reposting the video to her followers, Cohn didn’t mince words about the state of WNBA refereeing, writing:
“No end in sight. In fact, it’s getting worse.”
No end in sight. In fact, it’s getting worse. https://t.co/VUoQq8IqiH
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) August 21, 2026
It’s sure to be exhausting for Clark, especially considering how well she continues to perform night in and night out. Even when opposing defenses make it their sole mission to physically grind her down, she remains the engine of Indiana’s offense.
She dropped 24 points against Toronto earlier in the week and put up 10 points and nine assists against Dallas despite the constant pressure. Though the Fever ultimately dropped the tight Thursday contest 91-85, Clark kept battling through 35 demanding minutes.
At this point, the WNBA has a real credibility problem with its officiating.
