Near the end of Friday's Final Four matchup between and , a late-game offensive foul call on sparked a firestorm of reactions from
basketball fans and professionals alike. With five seconds remaining and possession of the ball, the Huskies forward was called for an illegal screen as Nika Muhl attempted to pass to for a potential game-winning shot. However, before the pass could be completed, referees intervened, signaling the turnover and returning possession to Iowa with just 3.9 seconds left in the game. Following the turnover, Iowa capitalized on late-game free throws and effectively managed the clock. strategically threw the ball off Bueckers' legs, reducing the time to under one second. Consequently, the Hawkeyes secured a 71-69 victory, game against South Carolina. The call elicited shocked responses from observers on social media, particularly after instant replay revealed Edwards had planted her feet and barely moved. Edwards' elbow made contact with Iowa guard Gabbie Marshall, and the ensuing momentum convinced the referee of the offensive foul. All-time leading NBA scorer and four-time champion
LeBron James disagreed with the call on
Twitter, stating, "NAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I ain't rolling with that call."
Hollywood Actress Gabrielle Union similarly voiced her dissent publicly, declaring, "You can't call that! That's some ol BS." Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud, who was also watching the game, took to
Social Media to express her disagreement with the call, stating, "Naw. I'm sick for UCONN, man. That's a terrible call." Social media users had a range of reactions to the late-game foul call, with some criticizing the call, even describing it as "garbage" and suggesting that it was a decisive factor in the game's outcome. Others expressed disappointment and frustration, complaining that the call had tarnished the integrity of a well-played and exciting game. Among those were former UConn legends Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, who were watching the game on a special
ESPN telecast, with Stewart exclaiming "Oh my God" once the referee called the foul. "Wow, what an unfortunate time to call an offensive foul," Taurasi said to a stunned Bird and Stewart. "Just know how to ruin a game. Oh my God, that's terrible. That's terrible, that's terrible. It didn't even get her open. That's a tough play." All the latest news, showbiz, lifestyle and sports updates, brought to you by our dedicated
American team. to make sure you're not missing out. However, there were also voices supporting the call, arguing that it was justified by pointing out the slight action of Edwards' arms that they believed constituted a foul. Several basketball fans raised concerns about the referees' perceived unfair treatment of UConn, particularly during a point in the game when UConn held a 12-point lead. Observers noted a significant difference in the number of free throw attempts between the two teams, with Iowa
shooting 14 free throws compared to UConn's four throughout the game. Still, noted the circumstances of the game and his outlook. "Hard to explain how you feel when your season ends so suddenly," he told . "But we put ourselves in a position to win a game that we probably had no business even being in given the circumstances that we worked with. "But in the moment when you're trying to the game and you don't win the game, you don't think about 'You were lucky to be here,' you just think about we had an opportunity to win this game and we didn't."