Infuriated LeBron James and Damian Lillard call out officials for questionable call that leads to Liberty's WNBA Finals win

LeBron James and Damian Lillard are not happy with the officials for Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on Sunday. James and Lillard called out the referees for a questionable call late in the game that allowed the New York Liberty to force overtime against the Minnesota Lynx.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, James thought that the foul by Alanna Smith on Breanna Stewart should have not been called. The Minnesota Lynx were up 60-58 at that point with five seconds left. Stewart hit two free throws to tie the game and Kayla McBride missed the game-winning shot on the other end.

"I'm sorry but that wasn't a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battled tested game," James tweeted.

Damian Lillard shared the same sentiment, calling out the officiating for the game. Nevertheless, Lillard praised both teams for a great game and series, which will likely be called one of the best in WNBA history.

"Refs called this game like they knew the assignment in the 2nd half boy. Great game," Lillard wrote.

The call was challenged by Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve and the officials reviewed the foul multiple times. They concluded that Alanna Smith was not in a legal guarding position, so the call stood and the challenge was unsuccessful.

Breanna Stewart made two free throws as the New York Liberty forced overtime. In the extra five-minute period, the Liberty’s defense showed up and locked up the Lynx. They also forced a lot of turnovers as New York ended a 28-year wait to finally win their first-ever WNBA championship.

As for what LeBron James and Damian Lillard are saying, fans pointed out that calls were in favor of the Liberty all game long. They had 23 free throw attempts in Game 5 compared to just eight for the Lynx.

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Jonquel Jones named WNBA Finals MVP

Jonquel Jones finally has a championship on her stacked resume. Jones was named WNBA Finals MVP, averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in five games and shooting an impressive 50/40/90 splits. The 2021 league MVP finished Game 5 with 17 points, six rebounds and one assist, playing through an ankle injury suffered late in the fourth quarter.

She arrived in New York in 2023 after requesting a trade out of the Connecticut Sun. She formed a superteam with Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, leading the Liberty to back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances.

Following last year’s loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the Liberty scrapped a five-game series against the Minnesota Lynx to lift their first-ever championship. New York fans have been waiting 28 years for it to happen. It’s also the first basketball title in the city since 1973 when the Knicks last won the NBA championship.