The wild officiating in the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament Final Four causes everyone to erupt.
Iowa’s narrow 71-69 victory over UConn in the NCAA Women’s Final Four on Friday came with social media buzzing with takes on the contest’s officiating.
Many of the takes on the officiating were centered specifically around what’s been deemed by many as a controversial illegal screen call on UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards, when she was setting a screen on Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall. Some thought it was the right call, some thought it was the wrong call, and some did not think that the referees should have made the call regardless—as they felt that the officials were making the game about themselves by making the call. Interestingly, NFL Network broadcaster Kyle Brandt chimed in Saturday morning with a video that encapsulated many sentiments and opinions from the internet with just one post:
Some, however, simply believe that the players were actually dictating the call and the game. Of course, that depends on whether one thinks Edwards did indeed commit the moving screen:
Of course, for many it was not about whether the officials were making the game about them or not. They just simply do not believe that Edwards set an illegal screen.
In that case, star guard Paige Bueckers having the basketball in her hands at the time of the call with four seconds left in a one-point game likely poured so much fuel on the fire when it came to this crucial call. Again, the context surrounding the call rightfully amplified how important it was to fans on either side.
No matter what, huge games with massive implications being decided (or at least playing a significant role in being decided) by close calls has been a major talking point throughout all sports in recent memory. In the National Football League, two of the last three Super Bowls had close defensive holding calls being made in huge late-game spots.
Perhaps sports fans are tired of endings like these, whether they like the call or not. Some, however, may feel like the call would have been controversial regardless of whether it was called or not:
The call will not be forgotten anytime soon, regardless of what one’s thoughts on it are. That is especially the case for a game of this magnitude. This year’s Final Four was flooded with stars, and a game with Bueckers and Iowa guard Caitlin Clark clashing against each other is box office basketball.