Dawn Staley gives honest take on replay feature in WNBA after Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese

Dawn Staley is giving her opinion on Caitlin Clark's flagrant 1 foul against Angel Reese. The South Carolina coach discussed the topic on Thursday's episode of the radio show "The Breakfast Club."

Staley reflected on the replay feature, which was used to determine the classification of Clark's foul.

"I like it because officials make mistakes," Staley said. "It allows them to be corrected because they're wrong."

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Staley discussed her personal experiences with officiating.

"We have officiating conversations every year when we go to our spring meetings," Staley said. "If they have a 90% correct call rate, that's excellent. Well what about the 10%?"

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The South Carolina coach highlighted the implications that incorrect calls can have. A call by an official can cost a team a win, which in college basketball can affect NCAA Tournament seeding.

"If I'm gonna get criticized for losing, you should get criticized for not making the correct call," Staley said.

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Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese's recent foul issue

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's feud dates back to their college careers, but its latest development came in Saturday's matchup between Clark's Indiana Fever and Reese's Chicago Sky.

In the season opener for the two teams, Clark received a foul when she prevented Reese from scoring a layup, resulting in Reese falling to the floor. The Sky forward was frustrated by the situation and was seen saying expletives to Clark.

Clark's foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, a decision she disagreed with in a postgame interview.

“You know, either Angel gets a wide-open two points, or we send them to the free-throw line," Clark said. "Nothing malicious about it. It's just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that.”

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Staley discussed the rivalry between the two WNBA stars and the way it was highlighted by Saturday's foul in her appearance on "The Breakfast Club."

“I think it's great for our game,” Staley said. “It’s a sport, treat us like a sport. It happens in every sport, soccer, basketball, football. So let it be.”

Opinions are mixed on Saturday's events between Clark and Reese, but Staley has made her opinion on sports rivalries and the value of replays clear.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Ribin Peter