The roar of the crowd couldn’t drown out the whistles. In a league built on star power, Unrivaled’s officiating became the unscripted villain Monday night as Angel “Chi-Town Barbie” Reese bulldozed through defenders. Angel Reese walked into Wayfair Arena with a point to prove, and she didn’t disappoint. The Rose BC star dominated on both ends of the floor, fueling her team to a 71-59 victory over Phantom BC. But while the scoreboard told one story, the game itself revealed another. Another?
One where the refs played an unexpected leading role. And one tweet captured the night’s real storyline: “That was my last Unrivaled game. I’m embarrassed to keep watching after the way Angel was reffed tonight. Her threatening to go back to Chicago has those weak ass refs walking on eggshells.” The refs weren’t just calling the game—they were shaping it.
That was my last Unrivaled game. I’m embarrassed to keep watching after the way Angel was reffed tonight.
Her threatening to go back to Chicago has those weak ass refs walking on eggshells.
— Giantist Anteaterkounmpo (@Centerextreme1) February 25, 2025
Reese didn’t just play—she ruled it. The Chicago Sky rookie dropped 23 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, outmuscling Phantom’s Sabrina Ionescu (15 points, 5-13 FG) and Britney Griner in a clinic of physicality. While Rose’s Chelsea Gray splashed daggers (26 points, 5-8 3PT), Reese’s no-look passes and rim attacks left Phantom scrambling. Yet social media erupted over non-calls on Reese’s drives, with fans accusing refs of overcorrecting after her recent trade-related frustrations.
The opening minutes set the tone. At 6:37 in the first quarter, Reese found Lexie Hull for the game’s first triple, putting Rose BC on the board. Seconds later, she powered through contact for her first bucket. By the 5:06 mark, Reese had already grabbed three boards, dished two assists, and picked up a controversial foul contesting Satou Sabally. The crowd felt the tension. The refs felt the pressure.
As the first quarter closed, Reese put an exclamation mark on her dominant start. At 3:14, she drilled a three-pointer off a Chelsea Gray dime, pushing Rose to a 20-11 lead. Then, as Phantom attempted to rally, Reese snatched a defensive board and immediately set up Gray for another deep ball. The sequence showcased her two-way impact and had fans buzzing online.
Phantom clawed back in the second quarter, thanks to Ionescu and Katie Lou Samuelson. At 6:04, Sabrina drained a three to cut Rose’s lead to 30-24. The momentum shifted, but Reese answered. A trip to the line at 5:44 extended the lead to eight. Moments later, she shut down a Phantom fast break with a defensive board and an assist to Gray for another midrange dagger.
Phantom’s four double-digit scorers, including Satou Sabally (17 points), couldn’t counter Rose’s chemistry. Reese’s 14 rebounds marked her fourth straight double-double, a stark rebound from her January slump (4 points vs. Mist). Meanwhile, Ionescu’s recent dip—12 points vs. Mist, 15 here—raises questions: Is she fatigued, or are defenses adapting?
Reese has been on a tear since Chicago pulled off the blockbuster Ariel Atkins trade. Is that a coincidence? Or a power move? She’s made it clear she has unfinished business in her hometown. Her 23-point outburst came just hours after the deal went down. That only adds fuel to the speculation: Could Reese be angling for a return to Chicago sooner than later?
Her resurgence is also a stark contrast to the drama from earlier this month. Right at the beginning of February, Reese became the first player in Unrivaled history to get ejected after two technical fouls. The fallout? A media frenzy, a cryptic “Free me” tweet, and even Napheesa Collier—who co-founded Unrivaled with Breanna Stewart—weighing in on the Run It Back podcast. Monday night proved that wasn’t just noise. Reese came back with something to prove, and she let her game do the talking.
But here’s the bigger question: Does Reese’s bruising style invite officiating bias, or is her dominance simply unrivaled? As Unrivaled’s ratings soar, the league faces a pressure test: Because if Reese’s past few weeks have shown anything, it’s that she won’t back down. Not from defenders. Not from controversy. And definitely not from the refs.
Angel Reese and Unrivaled Officiating: Fans Call Out Inconsistency
Angel Reese’s name is at the center of Unrivaled’s latest officiating drama. Fans are frustrated, calling out questionable calls and league-wide inconsistency.
A fan commented, “Man, what does AR have on these Unrivaled refs to get all these calls.” Fans aren’t letting this one slide. Just weeks after getting tossed with back-to-back techs, Reese is suddenly getting calls her way, and people are wondering—did the league flip the script?
Another fan chimed in, “That was a foul on Angel (I am fair); Unrivaled refs are so bad .” The officiating drama isn’t just about Reese getting calls—it’s about the inconsistency. One play, she’s getting hacked with no whistle. The next, a soft touch sends her to the line. Fans aren’t sure what’s worse: the calls themselves or the unpredictability of it all.
Another fan commented, “Angel Reese is playing so dirty tonight in Unrivaled. If the refs don’t quit favoring the players will take it into their own hands.” That last comment takes things up a notch. It’s not just about bad calls anymore—fans think players might start handling it themselves. Physical play is part of the game, but when people feel like refs are picking favorites, tensions rise fast. If this keeps up, Unrivaled might have a real problem.
Now fans are calling out the refs league-wide. Another fan commented, “The ref chose to be blind and act like Reese didn’t foul Cloud. The refs in every female league have to be the worst. #Unrivaled” This isn’t just about Unrivaled—it’s frustration boiling over from bad officiating across women’s basketball. The Cloud-Reese no-call is just the latest spark. When fans start throwing around #Unrivaled in the same breath as “worst refs,” you know the patience is running out.
Another fan commented, “Calls like that is what’s going to have people saying the league is a joke. They had a chance to change a call that they very obviously got wrong and they dont. I was really hoping the officiating would at least be a little better than in the W, but clearly it’s not. #Unrivaled” Fans wanted Unrivaled to be different, but bad calls are making it feel all too familiar. The league promised something fresh, yet here we are—another blown call, another wave of frustration. If officiating keeps missing the mark, the hype around Unrivaled might turn into just another “what could have been” story.
If Unrivaled doesn’t clean up its officiating, fan trust could take a hit. A league built on excitement can’t afford predictable ref drama.
The post Calls Mount Against Unrivaled Officials After Angel Reese Faces Unfair Treatment Fighting Sabrina Ionescu & Co. appeared first on EssentiallySports.
