Kelsey Plum voiced her frustration with the officiating following the Los Angeles Sparks’ hard-fought overtime loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night. The Sparks guard, known for her fiery competitiveness, didn’t hold back in her postgame comments, pointing to what she felt were inconsistent and questionable calls that shifted the momentum late in the game.
“I’m all for letting us play, but it’s got to go both ways,” Plum said during the postgame press conference. “There were a lot of missed calls down the stretch obvious contact that wasn’t called, and then touch fouls on the other end. It’s frustrating when the game is decided like that, especially after we fought so hard to stay in it.”
The Sparks fell 94–89 in OT, despite Plum’s 24-point, 6-assist effort. A controversial non-call in the final seconds of regulation, when Plum appeared to be hit on a drive to the basket, sparked immediate outcry from the Sparks’ bench. Officials let play continue, and the game headed into overtime.
“That’s a foul in the first quarter, but not in crunch time?” Plum said. “We just want consistency. We put everything into this, and it’s tough when we don’t get a fair shake.”
The WNBA has made officiating transparency a bigger focus in recent seasons, but frustration among players continues to be a recurring theme, especially in close games. Plum emphasized she wasn’t blaming the loss entirely on the refs but felt compelled to speak up.
“We’ve got to be better, and I own that,” she added. “But I also think the league needs to take a look at what’s happening in these big moments.”
The Sparks now turn their attention to their next matchup, hoping to rebound and get a cleaner whistle.
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