Coach Cheryl Reeve had harsh phrases for the officers after the Sport 5 loss within the WNBA Finals. Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride mixed for 43 factors for the Lynx.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 21, 2024 at 5:59AM
Jonquel Jones of the Liberty was the MVP of the WNBA Finals after New York beat the Lynx 67-62 in extra time for his or her first league championship. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
NEW YORK – Dropping, in fact, damage.
Dropping in extra time made it worse. That it was in Sport 5 of the most-watched and best-attended and clearly most hotly-contested WNBA Finals in historical past was like salt in an open wound.
It flowed after the Lynx misplaced to New York 67-62 on Sunday night time at Barclays Middle in entrance of 18,090 followers who started the night time struck silent, however ended it roaring because the Liberty received their first WNBA championship.
New York pressured extra time on a questionable name that had Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve — who has received 4 titles in seven journeys to the Finals — greater than upset.
“All of the headlines will learn, ‘Reeve cries foul,’ ” Reeve snapped. “Carry it on, proper? Carry it on, as a result of this [expletive] was stolen from us.”
At concern: A foul on Lynx middle Alanna Smith in opposition to New York star Breanna Stewart with 5.2 seconds left in regulation and the Liberty down 60-58.
Stewart — held in examine for many of the night time — appeared to journey as she drove into the lane and threw up a foul shot as Smith held her floor.
Reeve challenged the decision, however it was not overturned, and Stewart went to the road and hit each foul photographs to pressure extra time.
Then New York scored the primary 5 factors in OT and the Lynx by no means recovered.
After the sport, Reeve had loads to say concerning the referees. She pointed to the Lynx’s 44-38 edge on paint factors, however New York’s 25-8 edge in free-throw makes an attempt. She wished to understand how Lynx star Napheesa Collier scored 22 factors — taking most of her 23 photographs within the lane — and by no means shot a free throw.
Requested after the sport about how her scoring decreased within the second half, Collier famous, “Yeah, most likely as a result of I used to be getting held slightly bit. It was slightly onerous to make photographs.”
Collier has by no means taken 20 photographs in a sport — formally, she was 11-for-23 from the sector — with out going to the road. Till Sunday.
“It’s a disgrace that officiating, you realize, had such a hand,” Reeve mentioned, referring not simply to the sport however all the sequence. Reeve famous that the WNBA problem rule doesn’t embody having a 3rd get together evaluation the decision, and mentioned that needed to change. She mentioned she believed if that play was despatched into the league, the ruling would have been incidental contact.
“That was not a foul,” Reeve mentioned.
However that wasn’t the Lynx’s solely drawback in one other bodily battle. This was the Liberty’s first championship in six tries within the Finals.
And Reeve lauded them. “It took them 28 years,” she mentioned. “Congrats to them. We have been that near our fifth.”
Stated New York coach Sandy Brondello: “I’ve a lot respect for Cheryl and for that Minnesota staff. However hey, we discovered a method to win.”
The Lynx raced to a 32-20 lead over the sport’s first 17 minutes, however they scored solely 30 factors over the past 28. They held Stewart (13 factors) and Sabrina Ionescu (5) to a mixed 5-for-34 capturing, however struggled with Finals MVP Jonquel Jones (17 factors, six rebounds), Leonie Fiebich (13, together with a three-pointer to open the extra time) and Nyara Sabally (13 factors off the bench).
Ionescu, whose three-pointer received Sport 3 for the Liberty, was swarmed by the Lynx protection and completed 1-for-19 from the sector.
“We weathered the storm,” Jones mentioned as Liberty gamers swilled champagne throughout their blissful information convention. “Unsure we ‘flipped a change,’ however we undoubtedly weathered the storm.”
The New York Liberty are the 2024 WNBA Finals champions
The Lynx obtained 21 factors from guard Kayla McBride, who had a superb take a look at a three-pointer on the finish of regulation. However the remainder of the Lynx starters have been a mixed 5-for-26. Guard Courtney Williams scored 4 on 2-for-14 capturing and had 5 turnovers.
“I simply couldn’t discover it,” Williams mentioned. “I couldn’t work out my stream. Clearly horrible timing on that.”
The Lynx protection was there from begin to end, holding New York beneath 31% capturing. However the Lynx simply couldn’t rating sufficient themselves. And so, a magical season that exceeded the expectations of everybody however themselves ended seconds away from a fifth title.
“It’s actually uncommon,” mentioned McBride of this 12 months’s Lynx. “That is my eleventh season. I obtained to exit and combat with ladies I take into account sisters. That’s why it feels this fashion. We get pleasure from working with one another, competing, combating with one another. That’s why we have been right here. We confirmed up each day and performed for one another.”
Lynx discuss after shedding WNBA Finals to New York Liberty Up 12 with three minutes left within the first half, the Lynx let the Liberty minimize it to seven by halftime. As soon as the Liberty caught all the best way up late within the third quarter, the remainder of the sport was the type of battle these two groups had spent the sequence taking part in.
Down 4 with 2:19 left, the Lynx got here again. McBride hit two free throws and Collier scored twice, the second time with 1:04 left. The 2 groups traded scoreless possessions till The Foul was known as.
“Officiating, it’s not that onerous,” Reeve mentioned. “When somebody is being held, be constant. For those who don’t wish to name a maintain on one finish, don’t name it on the different. …
“It simply doesn’t really feel proper that you just lose a sequence with that stage of discrepancy. We don’t have a staff that whines and complains and all that stuff. Generally it most likely hurts us. You will have a star participant like Phee, how she might be held and go to the basket and get hit?”
After which a name the Lynx clearly felt was marginal modified the course of the sport, one which had Reeve paying homage to controversy surrounding the tip of a shedding Sport 5 to Los Angeles by a degree in 2016.
And had the gamers combating again tears.
“The solar goes to stand up once more tomorrow, you realize?” mentioned Smith, who performed via again ache. “You’re employed so onerous for one thing and then you definately don’t obtain it? Dropping is all the time onerous. Dropping in extra time is the worst.
“However the journey was price it.”
Reporter Kent Youngblood has lined sports activities for the Star Tribune for greater than 20 years.
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