Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Says WNBA Title ‘Was Stolen from Us’ After Game-Altering Foul Call

sean neumann

Mon, Oct 21, 2024, 10:13 a.m.·3 min read

The New York Liberty forced overtime and eventually won the WNBA Finals after a controversial foul call with 5.2 seconds left in the game

<p>Elsa/Getty</p> Cheryl Reeve — Elsa/Getty
Cheryl Reeve

Cheryl Reeve did not sugarcoat how she felt about the referees after her Minnesota Lynx lost lost the WNBA Finals on Sunday night.

“This s--- was stolen from us,” Reeve, 58, bluntly told reporters after the Game 5 overtime loss.

The Lynx coach was talking about a crucial foul called against Minnesota center Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter as New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart attempted — and missed — a game tying shot from close range.

With the Lynx leading the game 60-58, Stewart promptly tied the game with back-to-back free throws and sent the game to overtime, where the Liberty used the extra 5 minutes to overwhelm Minnesota en route to a 67-62 championship win.

After the game, Reeve repeatedly told reporters that she thinks Smith’s contact with Stewart was “marginal, at best.”

On social media afterwards, fans, players, and even NBA players reacted to the controversial call at a critical moment in the game.

<p>Elsa/Getty</p> Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty takes a shot as Alanna Smith #8 of the Minnesota Lynx defends during Game Five of the WNBA Finals — Elsa/Getty
Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty takes a shot as Alanna Smith #8 of the Minnesota Lynx defends during Game Five of the WNBA Finals

“Was that reviewed foul call a foul? I don’t think it was. Marginal contact,” retired three-time WNBA Champion Candace Parker wrote on X, agreeing with Reeve.

“I’m sorry but that wasn’t a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battled tested game,” NBA star LeBron James posted on X, adding a face palm emoji after his thoughts.

The Lynx challenged the foul call, however referees on the court upheld the decision. That prompted Reeve to call for a change to WNBA’s officiating structure after the game, telling reporters she believes there should be a “third party” available to help referees review challenged calls.

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"At the other end when they challenged it, if we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that this was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed," Reeve said afterwards. "When you review, there should be the same parameters that you're reviewing with, but the three people in the game need a fourth party to let them know. Because that decided the game."

<p>Elsa/Getty</p> Alanna Smith #8 and Natisha Hiedeman #2 of the Minnesota Lynx react as they head to the bench against the New York Liberty during Game Five of the WNBA Finals — Elsa/Getty
Alanna Smith #8 and Natisha Hiedeman #2 of the Minnesota Lynx react as they head to the bench against the New York Liberty during Game Five of the WNBA Finals

In her own press conference, Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello smiled and said she thought the officiating was “pretty fair.”

But Reeve made it abundantly clear she didn’t think so.

"It just doesn't feel right that you lose a series with that level of discrepancy," Reeve said. "We don't have a team that whines and complains and all that stuff. Sometimes, it probably hurts us. Maybe being a little more, I don't know, something. But you have a star player like [Napheesa Collier] that just…I don't get it. I don't get how she can be held and go to the basket and get hit, and then a marginal, at best, at best, sends their best player to the free throw line. I mean, that's tough. It's tough to swallow."

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