Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve had some strong words for the referees after the team lost the WNBA championship in an overtime game against the New York Liberty on Sunday night.
The electric Game 5 matchup was pushed into overtime after a foul was called in the last 5.2 seconds of the fourth quarter, when Lynx forward Alanna Smith made contact with Liberty star Breanna Stewart. That foul allowed Stewart to tie the game with two free throws, clearing the way for the Liberty to rally in extra time and win 67-62.
Reeve took umbrage at the overtime call, telling reporters in the postgame press conference that she felt Smith barely touched Stewart.
“I know all the headlines will be ‘Reeve cries foul’ … bring it on, because this s— was stolen from us,” Reeve said.
Liberty head coach Sheryl Brondello was asked about Reeves comments after the game and a small celebration with the team, to which she let out something of a scoffing sound. She then joked that she thought the officiating was “pretty fair.”
“That’s what you gotta give, give and take,” Brondello said. “Like Game No.1, we should have won that game.”
She went on to say she has a lot of respect for Reeve as well as the entire Lynx team, noting that the game was hard fought. But in the end Brondello said the team came together and found a way to win.
After the Liberty lost Game 4 days before the final, Brondello also told reporters that the referees needed “be fair.” She criticized officials for failing to call multiple fouls to the detriment of the Liberty team.
“If we’re getting hit, that’s a foul,” Brondello said. “You know, I’m one of the nicest bloody coaches in this league, but this pisses me off. Just be fair.”
Basketball fans noted on social media that Brondello was heard in the game broadcast telling her team in the final seconds to exaggerate if they were hit.
“If they foul you, embellish it because that’s a foul,” Brondello said in in the broadcast.
The WNBA is hardly the first or final championship that will be litigated after the fact by coaches and fans based on officiating.
Many San Francisco 49ers fans were livid after the 2020 Super Bowl over a failure by officials to call several flags against the Kansas City Chiefs, including a number of holding penalties. The Chiefs ultimately won that Super Bowl game.
