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New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart hit two clutch free throws late in regulation to force overtime in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The New York Liberty then clamped down on the Minnesota Lynx in the extra period to secure their first WNBA championship, but did Stewart get a phantom call from the referees?
With the Lynx up 60-58 with less than 10 seconds left, Stewart got the ball just inside the arc and almost fumbled it. She bumped into Alanna Smith and tried to hit a shot to tie the game. The ball hit the rim, but a foul was called to give the 2023 WNBA MVP two free throws.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve challenged the foul, and the referees reviewed the play multiple times. They deemed Smith to be in an illegal guarding position, so the call stood, and Stewart made the bonus shots to tie the game at 60-60. Kayla McBride went for the win but came up short as the game went to overtime.
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For those wondering, here's the video of the foul called on Smith to Stewart:
But did Breanna Stewart really get fouled? Let's review the play step by step, starting with a non-traveling call to begin the possession. Some could argue that Stewart didn't have full control of the ball, but she also seemingly took two extra steps before making her dribble.
As the referees missed the call, the Minnesota Lynx couldn't challenge it and get the officials to review the play. The next was the dribble move, bumping into Alanna Smith, who was whistled for the foul.
According to Rule No. 12B, Section II of the official WNBA rulebook, the dribbler (Stewart) is not allowed to charge into her opponent (Smith), who was in a legal guarding position. Smith had her hands up and was in position before Stewart had made contact.
While Smith lowered her arms to defend Stewart, replays showed that the Lynx forward didn't make contact with the Liberty star's arms and hands. It's unclear if the referees deemed it "illegal," and it compromised Smith's guarding position.
The question now is if the foul was given for Breanna Stewart bumping into Smith. If that was the case, a foul shouldn't have been called, as it was Stewart who initiated the contact.
Nevertheless, the Liberty played better in overtime to take home the championship as the Lynx ran out of steam in the final five minutes.
LeBron James, Cheryl Reeve and more upset with the foul on Breanna Stewart
Several basketball personalities like LeBron James, Damian Lillard, and Isaiah Thomas weren't happy with the call that seemingly favored Breanna Stewart. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters that the championship was stolen from them, and she doesn't care about headlines.
"I know all the headlines will be 'Reeve cries foul.' Bring it on. Right? Bring it on. Because this sh*t was stolen from us. Bring it on,'" Reeve said.
James thought that players should always dictate the outcome of the game and not the referees.
"I'm sorry but that wasn’t a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battled tested game," James tweeted.
While there were a lot of positives in the 2024 WNBA season, there were also a lot of negatives. The number of toxic fans online is a growing problem, but it's a part of the league becoming more popular. However, it's not a great look if referees are the ones deciding the game and not the players.
