Over the years, the WNBA has given fans incredible highlights, inspiring stories, and players who changed the game forever. But alongside the triumphs have been moments that left fans shaking their heads, critics howling, and the league’s reputation taking a hit.

From on-court blunders to front office failures, there’s been no shortage of embarrassing moments that became instant talking points. Looking back, these ten stand out as the moments when the WNBA would have given anything for a redo.

One of the earliest embarrassments came during the league’s attempts to market itself in its first decade. Instead of leaning into authentic storytelling and the personalities of its players, executives leaned heavily on outdated stereotypes, presenting players in photo shoots that made them look like something out of a catalog rather than world-class athletes.

The result wasn’t respect—it was ridicule. Fans didn’t want glossy, awkward glamour shots. They wanted real basketball, and the league wasted years before figuring that out.

There was also the infamous brawl in 2008 between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock. On one level, it showed the intensity of the league. On another, it became a viral clip for all the wrong reasons.

Instead of showcasing skills, the fight was replayed endlessly as evidence that the league lacked control. Players were suspended, reputations were bruised, and the incident overshadowed the quality of basketball being played that season.

Another low came in 2016 when the New York Liberty, Indiana Fever, and Phoenix Mercury were fined for wearing black warmup shirts to protest racial injustice. The optics were devastating: the NBA supported player protests, but the WNBA punished theirs.

Fans, media, and even fellow athletes hammered the league for silencing its own players. It was an embarrassing misstep that made the WNBA look out of touch at a time when it desperately needed to project progressiveness.

On the court, there have been nights that were just downright unwatchable. A prime example came in 2019, when the Atlanta Dream scored only 29 points in an entire game against the New York Liberty. Twenty-nine points.

That box score went viral across sports media as one of the ugliest offensive showings in professional basketball history. Instead of showcasing the growth of the league, it became a meme—and a brutal reminder that not every night is a highlight reel.

Refereeing has also given the WNBA some of its most embarrassing headlines. Questionable calls, missed travels, and inconsistent officiating have fueled endless complaints from players and fans. One of the most infamous came when a playoff game was nearly decided by a blatant error that everyone watching caught—except the officials.

The fallout sparked debates about whether the league’s refereeing standards were holding back its legitimacy, and clips of the blown call went viral across social media.

Broadcast blunders have only added fuel to the fire. There have been instances where league games were aired on tape delay, or worse, pushed to streaming services with broken links. At a time when the WNBA has been fighting for visibility, to see technical errors prevent fans from even watching games was humiliating. One particularly rough night saw a game stream cut out for nearly a quarter, and fans never let the league live it down.

Player feuds have also created their share of awkward headlines. Whether it was teammates calling each other out on social media, or rivals trading insults in post-game interviews, there have been times when the league’s biggest stories weren’t buzzer-beaters or championships, but petty drama. While rivalries can sell tickets, the perception that off-court beef overshadows the actual product has left the league cringing.

And who can forget the moments when the league promised big things, only to stumble in execution? The WNBA draft has had its fair share of embarrassing glitches, including audio failures and botched live announcements.

Instead of giving rookies the dream introduction they deserved, fans were treated to awkward silence, cutaways, or even missed picks. For a league trying to grow its brand, moments like those felt like a step backward instead of forward.

Then there was the controversy over player travel. While NBA stars fly charter, WNBA athletes often fly commercial, leading to delays, cramped flights, and even situations where players showed up late or exhausted for nationally televised games.

The league faced repeated backlash for failing to fix this issue sooner, and every viral story of a star cramped on a commercial flight felt like an embarrassment for a league trying to prove it treats its players like professionals.

The most recent embarrassments, however, have centered on how the league has handled Caitlin Clark. Instead of celebrating her unprecedented popularity, many believe the league has failed to protect her from constant targeting, harsh fouls, and inconsistent refereeing.

Add in confusing messaging about her injuries and return timeline, and you have a star who draws record ratings but often looks unsupported by the very league that benefits most from her presence. To fans, it’s the most embarrassing misstep yet: the WNBA may be wasting the momentum of its brightest star.

When you line up these moments, a pattern emerges. The WNBA has often been its own worst enemy, whether through poor decision-making, sloppy execution, or failure to see the bigger picture. Each embarrassing episode became a lesson, but the question is whether the league has truly learned from them.

With unprecedented attention now on women’s basketball, the margin for error is smaller than ever. The WNBA cannot afford more cringe-worthy moments—it has to deliver consistently, both on and off the court.

Fans may love to roast these low points, but they also care deeply. The fact that people remember these embarrassments so vividly shows how much potential the league has to shine. Every stumble is magnified because the spotlight is growing brighter. The WNBA’s challenge now is to ensure that the next viral moment is one of greatness, not another entry on the list of unforgettable embarrassments.