Overview
- Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who spoke on NPR on Wednesday, said the league is too physical and urged more consistent calls that favor offensive freedom.
- The WNBA increased penalties for misconduct, raising technical foul fines and adding a one-game suspension at an eighth tech, with higher playoff thresholds also in place.
- Flagrant fouls now carry larger fines per flagrant point and trigger automatic suspensions at four and six points, which the league hopes will deter hard contact.
- Coaches reinforced the shift, with Cheryl Reeve calling current physicality excessive and Becky Hammon highlighting new points of emphasis on freedom of movement and three-second violations.
- League officials worked with referees in the offseason on consistency, and preseason feedback from players like Caitlin Clark praised tighter calling, while 2025 foul rates peaked at 18.7 per team per game and broader rule changes may wait until 2027.