During last year’s All-Star Weekend, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert promised the league would fix its officiating problem. But nearly two months into the 2026 season, it appears everything is still a mess.

Last year, poor officiating became one of the league's biggest storylines, overshadowing everything from playoff races to the WNBA Finals. Coaches publicly blasted referees, players openly questioned the consistency of calls, and Engelbert eventually acknowledged that something had to change.

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So the league assembled a task force of coaches and executives to address concerns over excessive physicality, freedom of movement and consistency in officiating. The WNBA also hired longtime official Eric Brewton as its new referee performance and development advisor.

And yet, here we are again.

Perhaps the best example came a couple of weeks ago, when Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark took a shot to the throat from Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas during a loose-ball sequence. Officials reviewed the play in real time and declined to assess a flagrant foul.

Days later, the league upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.

Clark made it clear she believed officials got it wrong.

"I did think it was a flagrant foul," she said.

But she also said the issue extends far beyond one missed call.

"It's kind of been a discussion for three years now, and I think we really need to do a better job protecting the people in this league," Clark said Friday. "I've been involved in a few of those plays, but there's been plenty of others across the league that haven't been called. You go back postgame or whatever it is, teams submit clips and nothing changes. I think overall the league has to do better."

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Clark also called for greater investment in officiating.

"Overall, the league just has to do better and we have to invest in those areas," she said. "The technology can get better. We can treat the referees a little bit better. Pay them like they're full-time employees."

The concerns don't stop with Clark.

According to a report from The Athletic, coaches and general managers from eight different teams agreed that the quality of WNBA officiating remains subpar and that additional resources, accountability and investment are desperately needed.

"Dangle a bigger carrot," one coach told the outlet. "Pay them more money. Go get better talent to come to the W. I don't think we have the best talent. We have the best league in the world, but we don't have the best talent."

Others believe the league's review process is fundamentally broken.

Teams can clip plays and submit them for review, but multiple sources told The Athletic that the system suffers from delays and produces little noticeable improvement from game to game.

There have also been several high-profile officiating blunders this season.

The Chicago Sky were reportedly informed that three critical calls during a June 20 loss to Dallas were all incorrect. In another game, officials failed to realize Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell had fouled out and allowed play to continue before Indiana could substitute her.

"I hate to say it, but that's gross unawareness," USA Network analyst Meghan McPeak said during the broadcast.

"This should never happen," WNBA legend Tamika Catchings added.

Meanwhile, Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada couldn't hide her frustration after a loss to the Washington Mystics.

"I'm going to get fined, but I don't care," Canada said. "Tonight, the officiating was awful."

She even described one sequence where an official admitted to making the wrong call.

"But that doesn't help me, because now I have two fouls," Canada said.

That pretty much sums up where the WNBA finds itself right now.

The league knew officiating had become a problem, so it formed a task force and (supposedly) implemented changes. It talked about protecting players and creating consistency.

And yet players, coaches and executives are still having the exact same conversations they were having a year ago.

Nobody is asking for perfection. Officiating professional basketball games is incredibly difficult.

But for a league currently enjoying the most successful era in its history — expansions, record television audiences, a $3 billion media rights deal — something has to change.

Maybe that means better training, better communication, a stronger review process and more clarity on what actually constitutes a foul. Maybe that means hiring full-time refs and paying them a living wage. A novel concept.

But at some point, "we're working on it" doesn’t cut it anymore.

President Donald Trump intervened in Folarin Balogun’s red card controversy in the World Cup, calling FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the controversial decision in the Round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a source confirmed to Fox News.

It’s unknown what exactly Trump said to Infantino, who the 45th and 47th president has called a "great leader in sports" and a friend.

The USMNT striker, who has three goals in this World Cup including one prior to his red card in the Round of 32 match, has been cleared to play in a stunning twist of events.

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The Athletic, which first reported Balogun’s playing status on Sunday, noted that part of FIFA’s disciplinary code stated, "the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure."

"If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement," the rule added.

FIFA MAKES FINAL RULING ON US SOCCER STAR FOLARIN BALOGUN'S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD SUSPENSION

FIFA confirmed Balogun’s suspension was for a probationary period of one year.

"We accept the decision of the Disciplinary Committee and are pleased that Folarin Balogun is eligible to compete tomorrow," U.S. Soccer said. "Our full attention is focused on the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle, and we look forward to the continued support of our amazing fans."

Meanwhile, Belgium, which narrowly escaped Senegal in the Round of 32, was "astonished" by FIFA’s decision to allow Balogun the right to play on Monday night. The Royal Belgian Football Association said it will be " investigating all potential options" to reverse this decision on Balogun.

Team USA manager Mauricio Pochettino and his staff were thinking about how to replace Balogun atop their formation, but now that has all changed, allowing them to run out their regular starting XI against a formidable Belgium squad.

While the USMNT will hope to beat Belgium, and other opponents moving forward, Trump and Infantino will be together at New York/New Jersey Stadium on July 19 for the World Cup Final. Just as they did last year at the FIFA Club World Cup Final, Trump will hand out the World Cup trophy to the winning team’s captain on the field, which Infantino said on " Fox & Friends."

If the USMNT takes down Belgium on Monday night, they would just be the second team in the country’s history to reach the quarterfinals. They would also face the winner of Portugal and Spain if they can take care of Belgium first.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

When the Fourth of July rolls around, you can count on Paige Spiranac to deliver. Whether it's showing hot dogs who's boss or slipping into patriotic swimwear of various styles, she's there.

This year she kept the tradition going and it shouldn’t surprise anyone. She's built an entire social media brand on her consistency, her authenticity, and her creativity.

Her "Happy 4th of July!" message arrived as expected Saturday afternoon. What wasn't expected is that the image's authenticity would be called into question.

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That transpired shortly after Paige posted it. Doubt crept into the mind of at least one person who called out the golf influencer for using AI.

The image included in the Fourth of July post features her wearing a patriotic bikini while standing in front of a background that isn't real.

"Paige you’re better than AI!," the person questioning the image wrote. "Still, great cans."

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

The image, according to Paige, isn’t the product of AI and those cans featured in the string bikini are all hers. What people are seeing is the magic of a calendar photo shoot and the work of a graphic designer.

"Not AI. This image was from my 2026 calendar," Paige responded. "We shot it in studio and then a graphic designer made the background."

The explanation was good enough to erase any doubt from the mind of the person who had made the AI claim. They replied, "Forgive me!! You look spectacular!!!!"

EPIC GOLF TRIP, GERMAN SOCCER FAN FREDDY STUNNED BY SMALL-TOWN OHIO IN CUP TRAVELS, SOFIA VERGARA STOPS & MEAT

Still there are those who aren't going to buy it. Paige isn’t worried about them. She addressed it and moved on.

She has golf content to make and more important concerns to address than what people believe is AI and what they believe isn't. It's always something. Before AI, it was filters and Photoshop.

Some people choose to be miserable. For everyone else, happy Fourth of July from Paige Spiranac. Mark your calendars and we'll do it again next year.

The UFC Freedom 250 event made history as the first professional sporting event held on the White House lawn. Now for the first time, mixed martial arts fans can uncover how the Trump administration and event organizers helped put on the star-studded event.

"UFC Fight House: The Making of the Biggest Fight in History" is a two-part documentary now streaming on Fox Nation. The episodic event details the intense planning and logistics behind how the White House pulled off hosting the big fight, including the construction of 'the Claw,' which held seating for thousands of attendees.

New, exclusive commentary features UFC President and CEO Dana White and President Donald Trump, alongside many of his prominent allies. White compared the idea of the event to a Hollywood film, reflecting on the significance of what he and his team pulled off.

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"You just couldn't write a better script than this," White said. "If you scripted this out like a movie, this is a documentary of what really happened. If this were a script of a movie, you'd call bullsh-- on a hundred things that happened; it's pretty amazing. You could never imagine that this would happen. You could never imagine that we would be asked to do an event at the White House."

"When President Trump tells you, 'Let's do something,' and you agree to it, now we have to deliver," he continued. "There isn't anything we can't do. You saw the idea of what we wanted to do. Now this is the reality."

Nine long months was what it took to host the premier sporting event of America's 250th anniversary. But Trump said in the documentary that the UFC Freedom 250's legacy could last much longer than just one of many Independence Days.

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"I think this is going to go down as one of the greatest sporting events and maybe one of the greatest events ever," he said.

The UFC Freedom 250's viewership numbers seemed to match the organizers' lofty ambitions. UFC announced its total global viewership for the event was an estimated 34 million people, making it one of the most-watched events in the sport's history. Paramount+ reported that 17 million viewers alone watched the event on their platform across the United States and Latin America, solidifying the event as a groundbreaking success.

White revealed his more personal reasons for holding the UFC event at the White House, citing the country's history of fighting dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

"Americans have been fighting since day one, since the birth of America," White said. "We fought to get independence and to build this country. It started with a fight. So to have a fight on the White House lawn on the 250th birthday of America, no other sport would make sense."

TRUMP MARKS 80TH BIRTHDAY WITH PATRIOTIC UFC FREEDOM 250 SPECTACLE ON WHITE HOUSE SOUTH LAWN

Fox Nation also takes viewers inside the mind of UFC executive producer Craig Borsari, the "architect" of the Freedom 250's production. Borsari in the documentary is seen at one point calmly sipping his morning coffee but clarified that outside those peaceful moments, preparing for the massive White House event was a constant rush of energy.

"When I'm enjoying my cup of coffee, the rest of my day is anything but that," he said. "When you plan for an event of this magnitude, you kind of get that adrenaline rush. You want the adrenaline; you want that nervous kind of tension a little bit because it keeps you sharp. It keeps the team seeking out all the opportunities to make this event an incredible one."

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Interior Secretary Doug Burgum clashed with CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., saying officials can prove vandals cut the newly installed liner after she questioned whether the Trump administration’s renovation work had failed ahead of the Fourth of July celebration.

Bash asked Burgum whether he was "100% sure" vandalism caused the damage and whether he could prove it.

"Absolutely you can," Burgum said. "And as we drain it, we’ve got all the photographs we can see."

FORMER US OLYMPIAN DAVID HEARN INDICTED IN ALLEGED REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM

Bash pressed Burgum on whether officials had photographs of "a person or people cutting a 300 or 350 ft gash" in the bottom of the pool.

"Dana, I’m not sure why you and others in the media think that you want to keep trying to question… this is an industrial liner," Burgum said.

Burgum said the material installed in the pool was not paint, comparing it to the sprayed-on liner used in pickup truck beds.

"Every farmer and rancher in America that’s had their pickup liner lined by this sprayed-on liner knows that you literally, literally, it would never just like peel off or fall off," Burgum said. "This is like a strong material, and it’s the size of eight football fields."

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Burgum said the pattern of the damage showed it had been deliberately cut.

"The only way you can end up with actual slices in one spot and not the other is that someone physically cut it," Burgum said.

The secretary said the pool itself had been fixed after leaking tens of thousands of gallons of water per day.

"The pool itself, it’s not leaking," Burgum said. "It was leaking 45,000 gallons a day. It’s finally been fixed by President Trump and the American flag blue is working perfectly."

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Burgum said the broader issue was the condition of the nation’s capital before the renovation work.

"The real scandal is about the fact that the state of our capital was in such total disrepair," Burgum said. "No one was reporting about the pro-Hamas graffiti."

Bash noted that the Reflecting Pool was closed during the Fourth of July celebration.

"It was closed because it’s surrounded by fireworks," Burgum said. "It’s closed every year on the Fourth of July."

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Burgum said the fencing around the pool was tied to the fireworks display and would come down afterward.

"You can’t have people around fireworks when they’re being set up," Burgum said. "The fence was there because of the fireworks."

Bash also asked whether President Donald Trump’s motorcade could have damaged the coating when it crossed the pool in May.

"No," Burgum said. "He didn’t take the Beast. We were driving in a… Cadillac Escalade."

Burgum said the administration would use the same company to repair the damage rather than seek new bids.

"We’ll use the same company because they did a fantastic job," Burgum said. "Thankfully, the vandalism was small. It was bad. I mean it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair."

The Associated Press reported Sunday that Burgum said the pool would have to be at least partially drained in the coming week and that repairs would not be opened to new contractors. The report claimed Green Water Solutions received a $1.7 million contract for a water-purification system, while Atlantic Industrial Coatings received a $14.7 million contract to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

When you’ve had your fill of fireworks, parades and potato salad, there’s nothing like curling up with a good movie on a warm summer evening.

Here’s 16 of the best movies about America that will put you in a patriotic mood.

A toe-tapping rendition of the founding of our country, 1972’s "1776" brought the Broadway musical of the same name from stage to screen just in time for the bicentennial with much of the celebrated cast reprising their roles.

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Standout songs include "Sit Down, John" and "Molasses to Rum."

A somber portrayal of a veteran’s experience in Vietnam, "Born on the Fourth of July," is based on Ron Kovic’s real-life story of serving in the war, becoming paralyzed and eventually turning to anti-war activism.

The movie stars Tom Cruise and Willem Dafoe and was directed by Oliver Stone.

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The Academy Award-winning portrayal of a simple man’s optimistic view of the world follows the titular Forrest Gump from fighting in Vietnam to going on an inspiring run around the country.

The 1994 film stars Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise.

If action — and aliens — is more in your wheelhouse this Fourth of July, 1996’s "Independence Day" says it all in the title.

Defending the country (and the world) from extraterrestrial invaders, a group of patriots band together in a reminder that freedom isn't free.

Starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, the impressive blockbuster even won an Academy Award for visual effects.

What could be more fun than watching president-turned-action-hero Harrison Ford save the country, his family and the occupants of his plane from terrorist hijackers?

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Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson and William H. Macy also star in the 1997 thriller.

An emotional story depicting the horrors of war, "Saving Private Ryan" follows a group of men during World War II who set out to bring a soldier home to his mother after she's lost her other three sons.

It stars Tom Hanks and Matt Damon and was directed by Steven Spielberg.

The film took home five Academy Awards, including best director for Spielberg.

"National Treasure" is a non-stop thrill ride through our nation's history that imagines a secret treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence.

The movie takes its stars — Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha — from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and Trinity Church in New York City.

Its sequel, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," includes memorable scenes at Mount Vernon, the Library of Congress and Mount Rushmore.

Mel Gibson plays a reluctant Revolutionary War hero in this historical epic where he attempts to save his son who is captured by the British.

The movie also stars Heath Ledger and Joely Richardson and was nominated for three Oscars, including legendary composer John Williams for best score.

A love story, "Pearl Harbor" recounts the events of Dec. 7, 1941 through the eyes of two fictional Army Air Corps pilots and the nurse they both loved.

The 2001 Michael Bay film stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale. Jon Voight and Alec Baldwin also play Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jimmy Doolittle.

The movie, based on a book of the same name, depicts the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the famous raising of the flag there, and the aftermath for the men shown in the picture.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, "Flags of Our Fathers" is a companion movie to "Letters from Iwo Jima," which shows the Japanese view of the battle.

The two movies were nominated for a combined six Oscars, with "Letters from Iwo Jima" taking home one for best sound editing.

Another Steven Spielberg-directed film, "Lincoln" stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president struggling the Civil War and abolishing slavery.

The film also stars Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.

It was nominated for 12 Oscars in 2013, and took home two, including best actor for Day-Lewis.

"There's no crying in baseball!"

While much of the country's young men were overseas fighting World War II, someone had to keep America's favorite pastime alive.

Enter female athletes played by the likes of Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna coached by Tom Hanks, a washed-up former MLB star.

The movie, directed by Penny Marshall was selected by the Library of Congress in 2012 to be preserved in the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Harrison Ford is back to save the country, this time as CIA agent Jack Ryan, hunting down the IRA terrorist who left his wife and daughter badly injured.

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The film, based on the Tom Clancy novel, also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Sean Bean and James Earl Jones.

This 1986 action flick is a high-flying, patriotic ode to the best of our military pilots.

It follows Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, as he trains at the elite Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School, his cocky attitude rubbing others there the wrong way.

The movie also stars Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis.

The 2022 sequel "Top Gun: Maverick" reunites Cruise and Kilmer, catching up with the titular character who is now a test pilot and flight instructor to a new generation of trainees.

Born out of Lin-Manuel Miranda's brilliant mind and writing, "Hamilton" takes viewers on a hip-hop version of the founding of our country.

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An expensive ticket on Broadway, the filmed stage version starring Miranda is available to stream.

Top songs include "My Shot," "Satisfied" and "Wait for It."

Finishing off with a bit of nostalgia, this 1989 Kevin Costner movie will satisfy both baseball fans and those who are looking for a dose of classic Americana — or frankly, anyone who wants to feel inspired.

The movie follows Costner's character as he decides to build a baseball diamond in his Iowa cornfield after hearing a voice tell him: "If you build it, he will come."

It also stars James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster and Amy Madigan.

Palestine is not competing in the World Cup. They have nothing to do with the tournament, but that didn’t stop Egypt coach Hossam Hassan from making his team’s win against Australia politically divisive by waving a Palestinian flag on the pitch.

The video of Hassan went viral on social media with people chanting "Free, free Palestine!" in the background.

Following their victory via penalty kicks, Hassan said he was dedicating the win to the "good and noble" Egyptian and Palestinian people.

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"My heart and soul are with them," he added in his post-match interview. "I dedicate this victory to the Palestinians. May Allah grant them victory and have mercy on their martyrs."

Earlier in the tournament, while I was watching the USA's final group-stage match against Turkey, I noticed a Palestinian flag. So I asked a simple question: Why in the world would a Palestinian flag be allowed?

Palestine has nothing to do with the World Cup. It’s overtly political. It’s divisive. There's obviously a double standard because Israeli flags have been banned from matches, but Palestinian flags have been seen many times throughout the tournament.

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FIFA has yet to make a public statement or respond to any media requests regarding this incident.

Egypt is set to play Lionel Messi and Argentina in their round of 16 match on Tuesday in Atlanta.