(Reuters) – The WNBA announced on Saturday that it will launch a centralized replay center for the start of the 2027 season.
The league already uses replay, but shifting to a centralized system aims to speed up and enhance the review process.
A state-of-the-art replay center in Secaucus, N.J., has been used by the NBA since 2014. The WNBA will now use the same facility as its centralized hub for all reviewable game situations. The center will give on-court officials quick access to multiple camera angles and guidance from officials in New Jersey to make fast and accurate calls.
"As the WNBA continues its extraordinary growth, we're committed to investing in every aspect of the game, including the technology and resources that support players, teams, and officials," head of WNBA league operations Bethany Donaphin said. "Leveraging the NBA's state-of-the-art replay center is an important step in the continued evolution of our game.
"It allows us to enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews while embracing innovations that strengthen the competition and deliver the best possible experience for all our stakeholders."
The league previously formed an officiating task force during the offseason to improve officiating, a move that has received more attention in recent weeks due to specific on-court incidents.
Perhaps most notoriously, Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas was handed a one-game suspension for "recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area" of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game in June. No foul was called on the play, and Thomas and the Mercury were dissatisfied with the punishment process afterward, while the Fever were angry about the lack of a call.
Fever coach Stephanie White was upset after the contest that Thomas wasn't called for a foul.
"You've got to call it," White said at the time. "It's absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful."
Current officials are set to rotate as staff for the center. --Field Level Media