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Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve says series was ‘stolen’ by loss to Liberty in WNBA finals

October 21, 2024
Arzu

NEW YORK – The 2024 WNBA Finals will be one of the most memorable series in league history. Even as they competed against each other, the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty players realized the beauty of their rivalry and what a great promotion it was in a season that brought record attendance and excitement to the league.

But the Finals brought a spotlight to the WNBA’s management. The referees’ performance did not rise to the standards of the players and as a result they compromised the league’s production.

“It’s a shame to power through a series like this,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said after a 67-62 overtime loss to the Liberty. “Obviously there’s always going to be one team that’s going to be a little bit more disappointed than the other. I thought today was incredibly disappointing.

“It’s not (expletive) difficult,” he added. “The office, it’s not that hard.”

With two of the best players in the world in Breanna Stewart and Nabeesa Collier, the talk of a do-or-die game should focus on basketball. Instead, referee-influenced reactions and plot suggestions benefit the team in a larger media market with a more popular star.

The Lynx’s anger focused primarily on a call at the end of regulation, when Alana Smith was whistled for a foul on Stewart with 5.2 seconds left. The decision was overturned after a challenge, although Stewart sailed clear before being fouled, and Reeve guaranteed that it would not have stood if there was a replay center outside the building tasked with reviewing the call.

There are also several instances where Collier is beaten or wrapped around the rim before he gets an entry pass. Halfway through overtime, Leonie Feibich locked her arm around Collier so Collier couldn’t catch Nadisha Heidemann’s inbounds pass and a Lynx turnover instead of Feibich’s foul. Collier attempted 18 field goals in the paint and did not attempt a single free throw. She had never made more than 11 field goals before without getting to the foul line. She eventually fouled out in overtime.

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During regulation, the margin of error was 19-12 against the road team before Minnesota fouled out to extend the game into the extra session. Reeve went so far as to say the game was “stolen” from the Lynx.

It’s not the first time Reeve has cried foul in the postseason, eight years after Minnesota missed another title in 2016 when he managed to get off the game-winning basket on a one-point play. But Reeve’s repeated complaints don’t mean she’s wrong; Instead, he’s right that the WNBA has a chronic problem with quality management.

Three games into the series ended with coaches complaining about the referee’s one-sidedness during their post-game comments. After Game 3, when Stewart made 10 free throws compared to 12 total for the Lynx, Reeve said: β€œStevie’s game is called differently for Fee. You see the same level of activity and correlation around the edge. For whatever reason, it’s hard for us to go wrong in this series.

New York coach Sandy Brontello responded in Game 4, when the Liberty lost the free-throw battle 20-9, β€œI know Cheryl talked about it last time, but we didn’t get the call today. So should I speak at a press conference?

“What we want is fair, right. So if we get hit, it’s a mistake,” Brontello added.

Before the finals, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the WNBA would undergo its usual audit of referees, while suggesting the public focus on the calls was a sign of curiosity rather than a sign that immediate improvement was necessary.

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Still, it’s a red flag that the league’s longest-tenured coach will publicly rip officials on its biggest stage not once, but several times.

With NBA stars like LeBron James and Damian Lillard chiming in on the issue on social media, Lillard suggested the referees intentionally let New York play in the second half and the WNBA needs to do some introspection.

There have never been more eyes on the league than at the moment, and fair play is essential to keep fans engaged. They need to believe their team has a chance and not play as an underdog against a media darling.

Complaining about officials is a rite of passage for sports fans, so it’s not unusual for officials to rise to the top. However, there is a difference between fans feeling cheated by their team and the overall quality of the referees not being up to par.

When three officials can’t see the ball leave a player’s foot β€” which is what happened in Game 1 with Stewart β€” the result is forced to call a jump ball, which is a loss. If a player is wrapped and unable to get a pass because she is being held, it is up to the officials when the play is whistled.

There will always be judgment calls in basketball, and different referees will allow different amounts of contact. That wasn’t the case in Game 5, and at other points in the Finals, it would have tainted what has been an incredible series.

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When asked about Reeve’s claim that the streak was taken away from Minnesota, Brandello wouldn’t take the bait, choosing instead to highlight his team’s ability to power through adversity. And New York’s grit should be celebrated. Fighting back from 12 points down on a night when two stars couldn’t hit the sea from the beach was a remarkable feat of endurance and perseverance.

It didn’t hide that Lynx was struggling against Liberty. It doesn’t apply to either team. As it becomes a bigger player in the national sports media landscape, it is incumbent on the league to invest heavily in its officials so that they are prepared for this attention and this responsibility. The players deserve more than what they got in Game 5.

(Photo by Cheryl Reeve: Elsa/Getty Images)

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