The Minnesota Lynx were defeated by the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night, ultimately clinching a championship for New York. One pivotal call played a big role in determining the outcome of the Liberty's 67-62 victory.
In the fourth quarter, a foul was called as Breanna Stewart took a shot. The Liberty were trailing by two at the time, so they needed the call. However, the foul call was ultimately reviewed after the Lynx challenged it, as Minnesota believed it was not a foul. Replays seemed to determine that it may not have been a foul, but the call was not overturned.
Stewart ended up making both free throws to tie the game. The contest would later go into overtime where New York ended up earning the win. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve called out the officiating after the game.
"I know all the headlines will be 'Reeve cries foul.' Bring it on," Reeve said, via Alexa Philippou of ESPN. "Because the sh*t was stolen from us."
Reeve had more to say about the situation, via Noa Dalzell of SB Nation.
Cheryl Reeve is livid with the officiating at the podium, and urges for there to be a third-party that looks at challenges:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 21, 2024
“If we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that it was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/z4SWgUuOcj
The Lynx likely would have won the game, and ultiamtely a WNBA championship, had there been no foul called. Stewart deserves credit for making the free throws given the immense pressure of the situation, but there is a serious argument to be made that no foul should have been called on the play.
Either way, the call was ultimately made and the Liberty took care of business.
Cheryl Reeve calls out more than officiating
Reeve also seemingly called out the Liberty and other teams after the game.
"We gave hope to teams that aren’t willing to circumvent the cap or fly illegally," Reeve said, via Nancy Armour of USA Today Sports. "You don’t have to have a super team."
The Liberty were fined in 2022 for chartering flights to away games. The flying situation changed in 2024, but in 2021 and 2022 teams were not supposed to charter flights as the league believed it would create a competitive advantage for teams that could afford it.
The Las Vegas Aces were previously accused of having circumvented the WNBA's salary cap as well.
Reeve's comments will catch the attention of WNBA fans. It will be interesting to see if the Liberty respond to Cheryl Reeve's comments. For now, they surely do not mind as they are celebrating their championship.