The WNBA played its All-Star Game over the weekend, but Caitlin Clark, the league's most popular player, sat out with injuries. It's the latest flashpoint in a leaguewide debate over physical play and referee quality right at the moment the WNBA is rising in national prominence.

WNBA officiating "remains a sore point" across the league, said USA Today's For the Win. That is especially true where Clark is concerned. Other teams play against Clark with a "level of physicality," said Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White. But Clark is not the only player struggling. Injuries are "high all across the league," said FTW, raising the question of "what's permissible" to WNBA referees while they are calling games. 

The league is "facing increasing pressure" to address its referee issue, said ESPN. "Tensions over officiating have boiled over" in game after game, drawing newfound scrutiny thanks to the growing popularity of women's basketball.

What did the commentators say?
WNBA officiating problems are a "threat to the game," said Sally Jenkins at The Washington Post. The "chronically lousy, second-rate officiating" has resulted in an "uglification of the game" dominated by hard fouls. The "ugly math" is that the league's 179 players have suffered a reported 141 injuries since opening day. 

There's a "need for better, fairer, more consistent officiating across the entire WNBA," said Emma Baccellieri at Sports Illustrated. While it's true that complaints about referees are "universal" across all sports, the WNBA is experiencing a "pattern of mistakes that are hampering the quality of play and the growth" of the league. Players do not need "paternalistic coddling," but they do need "structural" improvements that can raise the overall level of officiating.

What next?
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert defended the league's officiating in a recent media session, said Athlon Sports. While there's "room for growth and improvement" among the league's referees, it's also true "no winning team ever complains about officiating," she said.

Still, the state of officiating might be an issue in negotiations over the new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players, said Yahoo Sports. The players want a contract that gives a "rightful share of the business that we have built" but also "improves working conditions," the WNBA union said in a statement. The current agreement ends on Oct. 31.

The sheer pervasiveness of Trump administration officials holding at least one additional high-level administrative position has alarmed some observers, raising questions of overreach and inappropriately consolidated power. As the White House continues its MAGA assault on the pillars of government, exactly how do these administration officials pulling double duty fit in with the president's vision?

'Irresponsible' and 'practically impossible'
Trump officials holding multiple administration jobs include: Deputy Attorney General and acting Librarian of Congress Todd Blanche; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was named interim NASA director this month; U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who pulls triple duty as acting director of the Office of Government Ethics and acting special counsel of the Office of Special Counsel; and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as an acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, acting archivist for the National Archives and acting National Security Adviser.

The "time-consuming nature" of "high-level government roles" has some experts warning that running multiple agencies is not only "irresponsible" but "practically impossible," said The Boston Globe. The White House's extensive "dual-hatting" reflects Trump's attempts to "learn from his first term," said The Atlantic. The Heritage Foundation authors of Project 2025 "lamented that Trump was very slow to appoint people to fill administration roles" and "recommended using more acting appointments" as the president tries to fill positions that are "very important but below Cabinet rank." 

'Model of a confused startup operation'
As the highest-ranking member of the Trump administration to hold multiple positions, Rubio has become the poster child for dual-hatting. When Trump "likes you and trusts you, he loads you up," said one White House official to Axios. Marco is "loaded up." 

Dual postings can lead to "managerial challenges, constitutional questions and potential conflicts of interest," said NBC News. Loading multiple roles onto a limited talent pool is the "model of a confused startup operation," said Yale University School of Management Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld to the outlet. Ultimately, Trump may be keeping his power concentrated in such a small group, said the outlet, because it "suppresses any challenges to his authority."