Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve says the series was “stolen” after a poor showing in the WNBA Finals loss to Liberty

NEW YORK – The 2024 WNBA Finals were one of the most memorable series in league history. Even as they competed, the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty players recognized the beauty of their competition and what a great advertisement it was in a season that brought record viewership and excitement to the league.

But the finale also put a spotlight on the WNBA's officiating. The performance of the referees did not match the level of the players and thereby affected the league's product.

“It's a shame that officiating played such a role in a series like this,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said after the 67-62 overtime loss to the Liberty. “Of course there will always be a team that will be a little more disappointed than the other. I found today incredibly disappointing.”

“That (expletive) isn’t that hard,” she added. “Officers, it’s not that hard.”

The conversation about a crucial game featuring two of the best players in the world, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, should have focused on basketball. Instead, angry reactions to the referee's behavior and suggestions of conspiracies in favor of the team dominated the larger media market with the more popular star.

Much of the Lynx's anger centered on a call late in regulation when Alanna Smith was whistled for a foul on Stewart with 5.2 seconds left in what appeared to be a rim contact. The decision stood after a foul, even though Stewart had clearly traveled before the foul, and Reeve asserted that the decision would not have occurred if an outside replay center had been assigned to review the call.

Breanna Stewart just traveled around the world in this piece 😭😭😭#WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/pK2YlNWRNV

— 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅🖤💫 (@DaviddLovesSosa) October 21, 2024

There were also several instances where Collier was hit or wrapped up at the rim before receiving an entry pass that was disallowed. In the middle of overtime, Leonie Fiebich had her arm wrapped around Collier, so that Collier could no longer catch a pass from Natisha Hiedeman and a Lynx turnover occurred instead of a foul on Fiebich. Collier attempted 18 field goals in the game and did not attempt a single free throw. She had never made more than 11 field goals without reaching the foul line. She ended up being fouled in overtime.

During regulation time, before Minnesota had to commit a foul to extend the game into the overtime session, the foul disparity against the away team was 19-12. Reeve even went so far as to say the game was “stolen” by the Lynx.

Just before this video begins, Coach Cheryl Reeve says, “This was stolen from us.” pic.twitter.com/8VanrfiXup

— Zena Keita (@itszenakeita) October 21, 2024

This isn't the first time Reeve has committed a foul in the postseason. She claims eight years later that Minnesota lost another title in 2016 when the Sparks were not whistled at the end of Game 5 for a shot clock violation and Nneka Ogwumike managed to score a game-winning basket in a one-point game fetch. But Reeves' repeated complaints don't mean she's wrong; Rather, she is correct that the WNBA has long had a problem with the quality of its officiating.

Three games in that series ended with coaches complaining about one-sided refereeing in their postgame comments. After Game 3, when Stewart made 10 free throws compared to 12 total for the Lynx, Reeve said: “The game is called different for Phee than it is for Stewie, for sure. You see the same level of activity and contact around the rim. For some reason we have a hard time getting to the foul line in this series.”

New York coach Sandy Brondello responded in Game 4, when the Liberty lost the free throw battle 20-9, by saying, “I know Cheryl talked about this last time, but we didn't get any calls today. So do I have to speak in a press conference?”

“All we want is fair, okay. So if we get hit, it’s a foul,” Brondello added.

Before the finale, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the WNBA would conduct its usual review of referees, but still suggested that the public focus on calls was more a sign of passion than an indication that immediate improvements were needed.

Nonetheless, the fact that the league's longest-serving coach publicly denigrates the officials on the biggest stage not once, but multiple times, is a warning sign.

Combine that with NBA stars like LeBron James and Damian Lillard speaking out on social media about the issue, with Lillard suggesting that the referees intentionally let New York back into the game in the second half, the WNBA should do some introspection put on display.

The refs called this play like they knew the assignment in the second half, boy. Great game.

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 21, 2024

I'm sorry, but that wasn't a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a hard-fought, tested game. 🤦🏾‍♂️

—Lebron James (@KingJames) October 21, 2024

The league has never been more watched than at this moment, and the perception of fairness is essential to keeping fans engaged. They have to believe that their team has a chance and not play as underdogs against a media darling.

Complaining about officials is a ritual for sports fans, so the fact that officiating is taking on a more prominent role is not unusual. However, there is a difference between fans feeling like their team has been cheated and the overall quality of refereeing not being up to par.

If three officials can't see that the ball has fallen off a player's foot – which is what happened with Stewart in Game 1 – and so they have to call a jump ball, that's a failure. If a player is wrapped up and can't make a pass because she's being held, and that play is called a turnover, that's the fault of the referees.

There will always be decisions in basketball, and different referees allow different amounts of contact. That didn't happen in Game 5 or elsewhere in the Finals, and it will leave a blot on an otherwise incredible series.

When asked about Reeve's claim that the series was taken over from Minnesota, Brondello was undeterred, preferring to emphasize her team's ability to overcome adversity. And New York's courage should be celebrated. It is a remarkable feat of perseverance and perseverance to recover from a 12-point deficit on a night when their two stars were unable to hit the sea from the beach.

It doesn't overshadow the fact that the Lynx were battling more than just the Liberty. That's not fair to both teams. As the league becomes a larger player in the national sports media landscape, it is the league's duty to invest more in its officials so that they are ready for that spotlight and responsibility. The players deserve better than what they got in Game 5.

(Photo by Cheryl Reeve: Elsa/Getty Images)