Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh spoke on Angel Reese receiving a technical foul after a string of physical plays in the third quarter, claiming the officiating should not penalize passion
Angel Reese received a technical foul after disagreeing with how she was being officiated despite the game’s physicality (Image: Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh understands being a referee is a difficult undertaking, but the difficulty should not impugn their decisions.
The Sky’s 92-85 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday was replete with action, from star forward Angel Reese showing out on Candace Parker’s jersey retirement night to having a historic performance, disproving the “mebounds” theory. Her outing against Los Angeles proved credence to Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts’ declaration that Reese was “elite.”
That said, while Reese had an impressive game, the star was given a technical foul in the third quarter after a string of physical plays on the offensive end, which the 23-year-old took exception to. After the game, Marsh spoke on the tech Reese received and how the officials need to be more diligent in calling fouls.
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu sparked anger with Wimbledon outfit that flouted long-standing dress codeREAD MORE: Tiger Woods’ son Charlie’s ‘I’m broke’ claim as true net worth clear after trust fund revelation
“Yeah, I mean, officiating is a tough job,” Marsh said when asked by Mirror U.S. Sports about the call. “We all understand that. I think that sometimes, you know, whether it’s Angel, whether it’s anyone in the league, I think that you got to be, as an official, you would think that you have to be somewhat objective to the passion that exudes sometimes.”
He added that while players have to be careful on how they showcase their passion on the court, the referees also have to give grace and understand that some moments call for passion and not a technical foul. The 37-year-old ultimately mentioned how basketball should be played with vigor and excitement and players shouldn’t be reprimanded for doing so, imparting a message.
“You know, as a player, you got to toe the line between what’s disrespectful and what’s not,” Marsh continued. “But I think more often than not, I mean, Angel plays with a lot of passion and we don’t want to take that out the game for anyone.
Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh spoke on how Reese’s passion shouldn’t be penalized(Image: Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
“You know, you play it to have fun. It’s a game at the end of the day. It’s here to entertain. And so, you know, we didn’t see an issue with it, but, you know, it is what it is.”
Marsh and Reese are just the latest names to criticize the job WNBA officials are doing this season. The two Sky stalwarts join Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, Lynx star Napheesa Collier, and Sparks star Kelsey Plum in criticizing the officials this year.
What’s more, Los Angeles star Azura Stevens believes the inconsistencies in officiating this season have to be addressed, especially since Plum has been the recipient of a number of unfavorable calls.
Get Peacock starting at $7.99
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
$7.99
Peacock
Looking for more to watch? Peacock has hit shows, movies, live sports, and more. You can watch popular titles like Wicked and The Traitors, along with Premier League matches and live golf all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 a month and you can cancel anytime.
“I think the biggest thing is the inconsistency. I think a lot of people, you know, see that as players,” the Sparks star explained exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports before Los Angeles’ loss to Chicago.
“Like, one team might be getting a lot of calls, another team might not. Or they’ll be calling it really tight, then they’ll be calling it really loose. Like, it’s just finding consistency with the officiating.”
With officiating being a league-wide issue, the 29-year-old admitted that despite the 2025 season being almost at the halfway mark for some teams, there is still no semblance of consistency.
“And I think that’s what we kind of all want as a league, is just consistent reffing across the board. I mean, I think if both teams are getting calls, then it’s consistent. We haven’t really been finding that. So I think that’s what we’re all kind of looking for is just consistency with the officiating throughout the game,” she concluded.