Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals came down to the wire with the game hanging in the balance for both teams in the final moments of regulation. But ultimately, one debatable call by the officials gave the New York Liberty life that they would capitalize on in overtime.
And Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve had plenty to say about in her postgame presser.
Leading by two points with five seconds to go, Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith was called for a foul on a Breanna Stewart shot attempt that certainly looked as if the contact on the play was minimal.
The play would be reviewed after a coach’s challenge from Reeve. But it was ultimately upheld. Stewart would then make both free throws to tie the game and eventually send the game to overtime after the Lynx missed a game-winning three-point attempt in the final possession of regulation.
Overtime would be a defensive battle between the two teams. Ultimately, the Liberty found just enough offense to come away with the 67-62 victory to win the first WNBA championship in franchise history.
After the game, Reeve immediately jumped to calling out the officiating for the game, asking for an overhaul of the review system following the contentious call at the end of regulation was upheld.
“You know, sometimes you get away with stuff when you are physical and aggressive and they certainly did,” said Reeve. “It’s a shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this. Obviously, there is always going to be a team that is a little more disappointed than the other. I thought today was incredibly disappointing. The challenge — we have got to change our challenge rules. The officials doing the game should have a third party. Because that was not a foul. That call should have been reversed on that challenge.
“First of all, Napheesa Collier, a number of times she’s held and nothing on that end…For whatever reason in this series, that was kind of the way it was. At the other end when we challenged it — if we would have turned that in, they would have told us marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed. So when you review, those should be the same parameters that you are reviewing with. But the three people that are on the game need a third party to let them know. Because that decided the game. That decided the game.”
As far as Reeve’s reaction to the call itself, it certainly does seem to be justified. But to say that this lone call cost you the game may be a bit of an overreaction in the heat of the moment.
Yes, the Linx likely would have gone on to win if the call had been overturned. But they also could have done a far better job in overtime, where they scored just two points.
Regardless, Reeve is quite clearly upset about how the officials impacted the game, which is a shame considering how great of a game it truly was aside from a potential referee miscue.
[ Awful Announcing on X , Photo Credit: NBATV]
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