In a candid exchange with WNBA legend Candace Parker, Aliyah Boston wasn’t best pleased with the league’s officiating following a call during the Indiana Fever’s loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
During a highly physical Indiana Fever matchup against A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, the officials called a defensive blocking foul, judging that the defender made body contact against Wilson using her hip while sliding laterally rather than establishing a completely legal guarding position.
The Fever challenged, but refs upheld the call, citing “hip to hip” body contact.
To add to the frustration over the call, the Aces went on to win the game 86-84 in a two-point nail-biter, behind 28 points from Wilson herself.
However, Boston still personally turned in a strong performance for Indiana, posting a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Aliyah Boston addresses the Indiana Fever vs Las Vegas Aces call
On their Post Moves YouTube channel, Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston spoke out on the incident, with Parker on commentary at the time.
Parker posed the question to Boston on what she thought of the call.
“Not to get you in trouble, but like what was your thought process on that call where A’ja was going to the basket and you guys challenged it and they didn’t overturn it? I on the broadcast said that it was y’all’s ball. They said hip to hip?”
Boston replied:
“Hip to hip. That’s not a real call. We’re not being serious. And I’m not trying to get in trouble or anything.”
Parker responded:
“It depends. If my hip as a defender is initiating the contact with your hip, then it’s a foul. But if I’m sliding and you just hip to hit me, that’s not my foul.”
The Indiana Fever star came back:
“That was crazy. So then there was one where I like I shot the layup and then I missed. I got the rebound and like Lys (NaLyssa Smith) kind of hits me on the putback and I’m like, “You called hip to hit, but you don’t call hand to head?” And they were like, “Well, well…”
What is the WNBA ruling?
Under official WNBA rules, a defender must establish a legal guarding position and remain vertical. When a defender slides laterally and makes contact with a driving offensive player using their hip or lower body rather than absorbing the contact squarely with their chest, officials classify it as an illegal blocking foul.
The challenge was not overturned because the WNBA replay protocol requires clear and conclusive visual evidence to reverse a ruling. Since video replay confirmed contact occurred during the drive, the official call on the floor stood, as replay officials rarely overturn subjective judgment calls unless the defender was completely set or no contact occurred.
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