“Wasn’t Even Close”: Dawn Staley’s Allegiance Lies With Amanda Serrano After Katie Taylor’s Headbutt Controversy

The recent WNBA Finals had fans and even teams calling out some of the questionable referee decisions. Other sports are no strangers to controversial decisions, and women’s boxing is now in the spotlight. All thanks to Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor’s rematch. Well, the South Carolina Gamecocks HC Dawn Staley, never one to mince words, didn’t shy away from making her opinion crystal clear, either.
She hopped onto her X handle to sum it up, “Chile they do this in women’s boxing too?!!! Serrano and it wasn’t even close.” But what happened exactly? So, this fight, which many fans had eagerly anticipated as Serrano’s shot at redemption, ended in an outcome that had boxing enthusiasts raising voices.
Serrano started the fight with powerful jabs. Taylor, though, held her ground and threw straight shots. But then came the turning point. Serrano suffered a nasty cut above her right eye in the fourth round from an alleged headbutt.
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And things only got worse in Round 8 when Taylor lost a point for, yes, another alleged headbutt. Although the judges saw it differently, awarding Taylor the fight with 95-94 scorecards, it seems like the WNBA legend didn’t.
Even boxing fans were all out booing in the arena. Taylor’s post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani turned into a bit of a PR nightmare as she tried to defend her win amidst the jeers. What amazed the audience most? With blood dripping from her eyebrow, Serrano didn’t give up.
She kept throwing those punches, refusing to back down. And when asked about the headbutts post-fight, Serrano’s response was, “She kept headbutting me, but we knew that from the first fight. Listen, I’m Puerto Rican. I’m going to die in this ring no matter what.”
Although the final decision isn’t going to change, fans continue to debate. You might remember that similar drama surrounded the WNBA Finals, where controversial officiating calls kept fans buzzing throughout the series.
Cheryl Reeve believes Lynx’s WNBA win was ‘stolen’
The WNBA Finals had its own fair share of refereeing drama, especially the final game, with the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty exchanging leads in an intense overtime. In the dying seconds of regulation, the Lynx were ahead by just a point when a foul was called on Alanna Smith while she was guarding Breanna Stewart.
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That’s when the Liberty’s Stewart got two free throws, sending the game into overtime. Now, if you ask Cheryl Reeve, the Lynx’s head coach, she feels the title was essentially “stolen” from her team.
Reeve argued that the foul call was a tough pill to swallow, especially since she believed it was marginal. “That call should’ve been reversed on that challenge,” Reeve said. “If we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that it was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed.”
via Imago Oct 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) catches a pass as New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) defends during the first half of game three of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
She was aware there would be talks about her complaining. “Bring it on,” she said, “because that s*** was stolen from us.” This wasn’t the first time the Lynx felt robbed during the Finals. Throughout the series, both teams had their grievances with how the game was officiated.
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So, whether it’s the WNBA or women’s boxing, the question remains: are the referees and judges truly fair? Because more than anything, it’s about the representation and credibility of women’s sports as a whole. When athletes pour their heart and soul into their craft, we hope they get the results they deserve.