Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada went on an unprompted tirade about how the referees officiated Angel Reese during the team’s 81-76 loss to the Washington Mystics on Thursday. Canada was aware she risked a fine, but it didn’t stop her from calling the referees “awful.”
Canada started with her personal issues with the officiating, saying the referees were inconsistent. Canada also said the Mystics gained a direct advantage from the refereeing amid their game-altering run in the fourth quarter.
She mentioned one instance after picking up her second foul, one of the referees admitted to fumbling the call. Canada then moved on to Reese’s issues, saying:
“I don’t know how many times Angel has to get beat up in the paint. It was blatant tonight. Every time she had a fastbreak layup, she was getting hacked in the paint, no foul calls. But the other way … we can’t play physical. Anytime we tried to play physical, it was always a foul call. … I don’t know what Angel has to do, I don’t know what we have to do to get a foul call, but I thought tonight was horrible, all three refs were terrible.”
Reese finished the game with 13 points and 13 rebounds on 6 of 15 shots. She had three free-throw attempts. While Canada felt the officiating wasn’t balanced enough, the numbers arguably suggested otherwise. The Dream had one fewer free-throw attempt and one extra personal foul called than the Mystics.
Meanwhile, Reese’s counterparts in the paint, Shakira Austin, made five trips to the foul line and Kiki Iriafen had four attempts. In terms of fouls called, Reese had five, Austin had three and Iriafen had four.
Angel Reese and Dream’s offensive woes have been persistent amid losing streak
While the Dream have raised issues with the officiating, they have also struggled with a few internal woes, which have contributed to their four-game losing streak. Their three best scorers are struggling to score efficiently.
Rhyne Howard is averaging 18.0 points on 39.1% shooting, Allisha Gray is averaging 13.5 ppg on 37.0% shooting and Angel Reese is averaging 13.8 ppg on 35.4% shooting.
Only Jordin Canada has been consistent on offense, averaging 12.3 ppg on 43.2% shooting. As a team, the Dream have shot 38.2% from the field (last) and 24.7% from three-point range (10th) during this streak.
The spacing issues couldn’t have been more glaring, which was one of the concerns when they traded for Angel Reese. Their three reliable shooters, Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada, have struggled all year, so the onus will be on them to help improve the team in those areas.
As for Reese, her efficiency around the rim needs to improve, as it can ultimately put more pressure on the defense when she drives to the paint.
Read more:
- Fans Slam Angel Reese as Dream Lose 4th Straight After Her Complaints About All-Star Starter Voting Snubs
- Monica McNutt Weighs In on Angel Reese’s Controversial WNBA All-Star Starters Snub
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