Despite giving up a double-digit lead, despite trailing by as many as seven points with four-plus minutes left, despite still missing five of the most significant players on the squad due to injury, the UConn women’s basketball team had the ball with less than 10 seconds left and a chance to win the game in the national semifinals Friday night against Iowa.
A moving screen call on Aaliyah Edwards prevented the Huskies from even getting a shot off in what had been developing into an instant classic between two marquee programs. Iowa went on to beat UConn, 71-69, to advance to the national championship game.
Right after the call, you couldn’t scroll for one second through X (formerly Twitter) and not see posts about it. Here are some reactions from across social media:
NAAAAAHHHHHH!!! I ain’t rolling with that call.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 6, 2024
This sucks. An otherwise classic chess match ends in a horrible way with a weak ass whistle. Ruined the game.
— Maria Marino (@mariacmarino) April 6, 2024
Pet Peeves:
1. Areas with no cell phone service
2. Bumper-to-bumper traffic
3. ABOMINABLE calls by referees in critical moments of the NCAA Tournament— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 6, 2024
Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi stunned by the moving foul call on UConn..
“That’s terrible.” – DT pic.twitter.com/eZ2Db3qNVf
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) April 6, 2024
You can’t make that call there.
You can’t make that call there.
You can’t make that call there.— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) April 6, 2024
Wow he just robbed us what a horrible call! The world is not watching this game for you referees man smh!
— Ryan Boatright (@Ryanboatright11) April 6, 2024
I know I’m new to this but where was the foul? So proud of what @UConnWBB accomplished this season and especially tonight. Huskies hold your heads high. What an amazing team! 💙 pic.twitter.com/s5XkpXttEC
— Jonathan the Husky (@JonathanHusky_) April 6, 2024
What a joke of a call.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 6, 2024
You can’t call that!!!
— Rudy Gay (@RudyGay) April 6, 2024
There are bad calls and then there are bad calls. The offensive foul on Edwards was the worst of the worst. Just brutal.
— Joe D'Ambrosio (@JoeDSports) April 6, 2024
To call that on a game deciding play is so wrong WOW
— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) April 6, 2024
Hurley using what just happened for motivation.
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) April 6, 2024
wait was that screen not set clean?
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) April 6, 2024
refs swallowed their whistles the entire game only to put their fingerprints on this in the worst way possible late. absolutely brutal, and robbed everyone of an ending rightly decided by the players.
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) April 6, 2024
Geno Auriemma spoke about Aaliyah Edwards' late offensive foul call.
"I just know there were three or four (illegal screens) called on us, and I don't think there were any called on them." pic.twitter.com/i1wh4OfSP8
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 6, 2024
I'm pissed for the players and fans that Got robbed of the moment by that Ref making that call 🤯Unacceptable yet so familiar 🙄…
— Swin Cash (@SwinCash) April 6, 2024
Just watched the replay of that call on Aaliyah Edwards at the end. One of the worst game-ending officiating decisions I’ve ever seen. To let a game that good finish like that is criminal.
— Emily Adams (@eaadams6) April 6, 2024
Wow. Wow. Wow.
No way that’s an offensive foul. I’m sorry.
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) April 6, 2024
Like, we were set up for the PERFECT ENDING. UConn was going to win it or lose it, but it was in the players hands on the last possession. You can't call a foul there unless it's a Draymond Green chokehold. You just can't.
— Lindsay Gibbs (@linzsports) April 6, 2024
sick way to lose a game pic.twitter.com/0ADCLtrH1L
— Rachel A DeMita (@RADeMita) April 6, 2024
Game on the line and you make that call?!?!
— C. (@ChelseaSherrod) April 6, 2024
I really cannot believe they called that. https://t.co/34QfqLHt1u
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) April 6, 2024
Has there ever been a worse call in a bigger Final Four moment?
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) April 6, 2024
If they didn’t call that foul and Paige Bueckers hit the game winning shot to send UConn to that National Championship, there would be NO ONE on this app or ANYONE on this planet saying that Iowa should’ve won because of an “illegal screen”. BOTTOM LINE. PERIOD. My heart HURTS…
— Kyle Garab (@KyleGarab) April 6, 2024
REF SHOW. ITS A REF SHOW. WORST CALL IVE EVER SEEN. IM SICK. I WANT AN INVESTIGATION.
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) April 6, 2024
Aaliyah Edwards deserved better. One of the least warranted foul calls of all time. Let them decide the game on the court.
— Chuckie Maggio (@chuckiemaggio) April 6, 2024
Elite Competitors don’t make excuses, they accept responsibility. @paigebueckers1 is the ultimate competitor. No complaining, no excuses, straight talk, high standard for herself and her team. While the rest of the country debates a call, she keeps it real. What an amazing… pic.twitter.com/ZyE5vB13Wl
— Jim Mora (@CoachJimMoraFB) April 6, 2024
💔
— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) April 6, 2024
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