In a close game against the Washington Mystics, the Atlanta Dream suffered an 81-76 defeat on Thursday night. Player Jordin Canada cited officiating as a significant factor in the loss.

“I’m going to get fined, but I don’t care. Tonight, the officiating was awful… I don’t know how many times Angel [Reese] has to get beat up in the paint for her to get a foul called… I thought all 3 refs were terrible,” Canada expressed in her postgame comments.

Despite standout performances, the Dream faced challenges. Rhyne Howard led the team with 24 points. Canada contributed 10 points and seven assists. Reese added 13 points and 13 rebounds. Both Canada and Reese received five personal fouls, complicating the Dream’s efforts.

Foul calls totaled 23 for the Mystics and 22 for the Dream, suggesting balanced officiating statistically. However, Canada raised concerns about missed calls on Reese.

“Every time [Angel] was getting a fastbreak layup, she was getting hacked,” Canada noted. “In the paint, she was getting hacked, no foul calls.”

The Dream’s complaints align with growing criticism of WNBA referees. Head coach Karl Smesko previously commented on Reese’s treatment by officials.

Statmuse data shows the Dream ranked tenth in personal fouls this season, with 385 fouls in 20 games. The Connecticut Sun leads with 465 fouls, followed by the Portland Fire and Indiana Fever.

Recent scrutiny includes an incident with Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas and Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Thomas received a Flagrant Foul 2 and suspension post-review for an uncalled foul against Clark.

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