To Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, there wasn’t justice for all in her WNBA Finals loss to the Liberty.
Reeve bemoaned the officiating after the Liberty won, 67-62, in Sunday night’s winner-take-all Game 5, during which Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier fouled out in overtime.
“I know all the headlines will be ‘Reeve Cries Foul.’ Bring it on,” Reeve said. “Bring it on. Because this s–t was stolen from us. Bring it on.”
The Lynx were called for 21 fouls in Game 5 at Barclays Center, compared to 17 for the Liberty.
Reeve expressed similar discontent after the Lynx’s 80-77 loss in Game 3, when her team was called for 18 fouls and the Liberty were charged with 13.
After Game 3, Reeve suggested defenders were getting away with contact on Collier, saying the “game is called differently” for Collier compared to the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart.
On Sunday, Collier shared a similar sentiment, saying matter-of-factly, “I was getting held a little bit. It was a little hard to make shots.”
“You shouldn’t have to overcome to that extent,” Reeve said Sunday. “This s–t ain’t that hard. Officiating, it’s not that hard. When someone is being held, be consistent. If you don’t want to call it a hold at one end, don’t call it at the other.”
Sunday marked the third game in a row in which one of the head coaches complained about officiating.
The Liberty’s Sandy Brondello voiced her displeasure with the officials — in uncharacteristically animated fashion — after her team’s 82-80 loss in Game 4, when the Liberty were called for 14 fouls, compared the Lynx’s nine.
Stewart dealt with foul trouble throughout that game, while Sabrina Ionescu was called for a shooting foul on a box out with two seconds remaining that set up Bridget Carleton’s game-winning free throws.
“We got no calls today,” Brondello said after Game 4. “So do I need to talk up in a press conference? Because they were getting ticky-tacks. And we went down there and got hit and get nothing.”
Asked Sunday about Reeve’s latest comments about the refs, Brondello replied with a good-spirited, “I thought they were pretty fair.”
“I have so much respect for Cheryl, and I have so much respect for that Minnesota Lynx team, because man, that was ugly,” Brondello said. “But we found a way to win.”
Sunday’s win clinched the first championship for the Liberty, an original WNBA franchise. It denied Reeve and the Lynx their fifth title.
“It’s disappointing,” Reeve said. “I mean, congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship. Been around, I don’t know, how long has the league been around? 28 years? It took them 28 years. Congrats to them. We were that close to our fifth. Just didn’t happen.”
