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WNBA officials hit Sabrina Ionescu with controversial technical foul for inadvert hit on Chelsea Gray

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels07/09/25ChandlerVessels
sabrina ionescu
John Jones-Imagn Images

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was charged with a technical foul after striking Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray in the face. The play occured with 4:59 remaining in Tuesday evening’s game after Gray fouled Ionescu, who was driving for a layup.

As Ionescu came down, her arms flailed and appeared to hit Gray in the eye. Although it looked like an accident, the referees ruled it a technical anyway as Gray shot one free throw and then Ionescu shot two foul shots as well. You can view the play below.

The Liberty would go on to win by a score of 87-78 as Ionescu led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-23 shooting. She also flirted with a triple double to add eight rebounds and eight assists. Tuesday also marked the third straight game that Ionescu scored 20 or more points.

The foul didn’t end up meaning much in the grand scheme of the game with the Liberty getting the win. But it’s still not a good look for league officials, who have faced scrutiny from WNBA players across multiple franchises this season.

Most recently, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese had some NSFW comments on the referees after an 80-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The Lynx went to the free throw line 17 times. The Sky, meanwhile, attempted just eight shots from the charity stripe.

“It’s tough when you talk to officials, and I asked them, ‘Hey, we’ve only been to the free throw line twice up until the fourth quarter,’ and she tells me it’s not her job,” Reese said. “So, it’s frustrating because I know how hard we are battling inside, and I think that we came down and fought as hard as we could with what we had, and I just know we continue to grow in this.

“I think this is a leaping step for us, and obviously we know we can compete with the best, but [the officiating] has to be fixed. And I don’t give a damn if I get fined because that shit is cheap. I’m tired of this shit. ‘Cause I’ve been nice, and I’ve been humble with it, but I am tired of this shit.”

Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty are likely a little less concerned about the technical considering they ended up winning, though. Next up they have a matchup against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.