WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Announces Centralized Replay Center for 2027 Season

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is set to launch a state-of-the-art centralized replay center at the start of the 2027 season, a move aimed at addressing the long-standing issue of officiating woes in the league. In a recent announcement, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert highlighted the significance of this investment, stating that it represents ‘one of the most significant investments we’ve ever made in our basketball operations.’

The WNBA’s centralized replay center will be housed in the same facility as the NBA’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey. This facility is equipped with 94 high-definition (HD) monitors, allowing for seamless and efficient replay reviews. The WNBA’s version will be directly connected to every WNBA arena, creating a high-speed replay workflow that will speed up the replay process and provide additional support to referees.

The current replay system in the WNBA is limited, with coaches having up to two challenges to use per game and officials only having access to certain angles, as not all WNBA arenas are equipped with the same number of cameras. The centralized replay center will change this, providing referees with access to all relevant footage and angles, enabling them to make more accurate and consistent decisions.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert emphasized the importance of this investment, stating that it will help bring greater consistency, efficiency, and transparency to the officiating process while continuing to improve the quality of the game. The WNBA has already seen improvements in officiating, with scoring, field goals made, field goal percentage, 3-pointers, offensive pace, and offensive rating all at an all-time high. However, Engelbert acknowledged that there will be a calibration and adjustment period, which is why more fouls have been called recently.

The WNBA’s centralized replay center is a significant step forward in addressing the issue of officiating woes in the league. The investment of tens of millions of dollars will provide referees with the resources and technology they need to make more accurate and consistent decisions, leading to a better overall experience for players, coaches, and fans.

The WNBA’s replay center will be directly connected to every WNBA arena, creating a seamless, high-speed replay workflow. When a review is triggered, all relevant footage and angles will be transmitted instantly to the replay center, where replay personnel will identify the most conclusive views and provide them to the officiating crew on the floor. This will enable referees to make more accurate and consistent decisions, leading to a better overall experience for players, coaches, and fans.

Some WNBA teams share home courts with their NBA counterparts and therefore play in arenas that are already equipped with all the camera angles needed for the replay center. However, many WNBA arenas will have to be upgraded accordingly during the offseason. Engelbert emphasized that the WNBA is still finalizing the operational details, including the technologies that need to be implemented in every arena.

The WNBA’s centralized replay center is a significant investment in the league’s basketball operations. The investment of tens of millions of dollars will provide referees with the resources and technology they need to make more accurate and consistent decisions, leading to a better overall experience for players, coaches, and fans.

In the past, officiating has been a hot topic in the WNBA. During the 2025 WNBA playoffs, both Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and forward Napheesa Collier put the league on blast after a controversial no-call that led to an injury for Collier. However, Engelbert pointed out that scoring, field goals made, field goal percentage, 3-pointers, offensive pace, and offensive rating are all at an all-time high. The commissioner did acknowledge that there will be a calibration and adjustment period, which is why more fouls have been called recently.

The WNBA is not yet ready to introduce a Last Two Minute Report, or L2M, the NBA’s play-by-play report regarding all calls and material non-calls in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, or the last two minutes of any overtime period. While Engelbert said she has had conversations with players about it, it has still not been officially decided one way or another because that would be another huge allocation.

WNBA head of league operations Bethany Donaphin emphasized the league’s commitment to investing in every aspect of the game, including technology and resources that support players, teams, and officials. The league is leveraging the NBA’s state-of-the-art replay center to enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews while embracing innovations that strengthen the competition and deliver the best possible experience for all stakeholders.