WNBA Replay Center
WNBA to Launch Centralized Replay Center in 2027 Season to Boost Officiating
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Key Points
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The WNBA's centralized Replay Center will operate through the NBA's Secaucus, NJ facility, directly connected to every WNBA arena; broadcast and in-arena camera angles will be transmitted to Secaucus, where replay personnel identify the most conclusive views and provide them to on-court officials with support from staff and rotating officials.
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The replay center will cover a defined set of reviewable calls, including whether a shot was two-pointer or three-pointer, whether a shot was released before the clock expired, Flagrant fouls, and late-game out-of-bounds plays.
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Bethany Donaphin, Head of WNBA League Operations, described leveraging the NBA’s Replay Center as an important step in the league’s evolution, saying it will help enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews.
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Commissioner Cathy Engelbert indicated the league is still discussing with players whether to adopt the NBA’s Last 2 Minute report within the WNBA replay workflow.
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The Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas incident highlighted officiating tensions: a missed foul on Thomas against Clark was later upgraded to a Flagrant 2, and Thomas received death threats.
The WNBA will open a fully centralized Replay Center for the 2027 season, the league announced, marking a multi-million-dollar investment in officiating technology. The center will operate through the NBA's existing facility in Secaucus, New Jersey, and will be directly connected to every WNBA arena, according to WTOP.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert called the move a major step forward for the league. The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of WNBA officiating, fueled by high-profile incidents involving stars like Caitlin Clark, according to AJC.
How the Secaucus Replay Hub Will Work
Every WNBA arena will feed broadcast and in-arena camera angles directly to the Secaucus facility. Replay personnel there will find the clearest views of a disputed play. They will then pass those angles to the on-court officials, supported by staff and rotating officials on site, according to The Score.
Bethany Donaphin, Head of WNBA League Operations, said leveraging the NBA's Replay Center is "an important step in the league's evolution." She added it will "enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews." The NBA's Secaucus center has handled NBA reviews since 2014, giving the WNBA a proven model to build on, according to TSN.
Which Calls the New Center Can Review
The Replay Center will cover a defined set of plays. Officials can review whether a shot counts as a two-pointer or three-pointer. They can also check if a shot beat the buzzer, rule on flagrant fouls, and sort out late-game out-of-bounds calls, according to WRAL.
One key tool is not included yet. The NBA's Last 2 Minute report — which grades referee decisions in the final two minutes of close games — is still under discussion. Commissioner Engelbert said the league is talking with players about whether to adopt it, according to AJC.
Clark-Thomas Incident Raised the Stakes on Officiating
The Replay Center plan comes after one of the most debated officiating calls in recent WNBA history. Alyssa Thomas committed a foul on Caitlin Clark that officials initially missed. The league later upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2. The fallout was severe — Thomas received death threats after the incident, according to WTOP.
That incident put a spotlight on how the league handles review and accountability. Players have raised concerns about the officiating process for some time. The new Replay Center is partly a response to that pressure, as the league works to rebuild trust with its players and fans, according to The Score.
Engelbert Bets Big on Officiating as League Grows
Engelbert framed the investment as part of a broader push to improve the game experience. She has not put a specific dollar figure on the project publicly, but multiple outlets describe it as a multi-million-dollar commitment. The 2027 launch gives the league two full seasons to prepare, according to TSN.
The WNBA is growing fast. Attendance and viewership have surged in recent years, partly driven by stars like Clark. With that growth comes greater demand for a consistent, transparent officiating process. The Replay Center is the league's clearest signal yet that it is taking those demands seriously, according to WRAL.
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