The New York Liberty filed an official inquiry into whether or not official Kevin Fahy told Breanna Stewart the team had a reset timeout left in Game 2 of the their semifinals match against the Atlanta Dream. The inquiry was the right thing to do, especially since it's beginning to look like Fahy told Stewart one thing, and then told the officiant pool another, but unfortunately the team doesn't have enough time to really do much about it, whatever results they get.
Instead, the Liberty have to remain focused on the third game in their series against Atlanta. They're facing a tough reality to overcome: no team has come back from a 0-2 deficit in the WNBA playoffs. The Liberty may well be able to do that, but focusing on what did or didn't happen in the second game will only end up serving as a huge distraction.
On top of that, it's unclear what exactly an outcome that confirms what Stewart said will do for the team, anyway. They can't get the timeout or the game back, and a loss is still a loss. Instead, it's just time for the Liberty to move on.
Stewart said as much while speaking to reporters during the team's shootaround Friday. She emphasized that much of this season, and most seasons in the WNBA's history, has been filled with stories about respect between players and referees. "In order to have respect, you need to build trust. And building trust comes with being honest," Stewart said. "You know what I mean? And putting me in a position to question my integrity is really disappointing. And I know who I am and what I stand for, and what I heard, and that's that."
Stewart added that she's going to "move on," but what happened between her and Fahy will likely continue to sting. Had the Liberty been able to take advantage of their reset timeout, the team would have been able to set a play from their end of the court — instead, they were forced to get the ball back in under the Dream's basket.
The Liberty will host the Atlanta Dream Friday evening. That could give the team an advantage to do the unthinkable and pull out a win — and one win may lead to two, and a second could lead to three. Two wins in a row would send the Liberty back to the State Farm Arena, and the momentum could once again shift in the Dream's favor.
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