Women's Fastbreak On SI

WNBA Referees Blasted For Costing Lynx in Game 5 Loss Against Liberty

The referees of the pivotal WNBA Finals Game 5 are getting roasted on social media for their poor performance, including by LeBron James.

Grant Young

Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) reacts after missing a basket in the second quarter against the Minnesota Lynx during game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) reacts after missing a basket in the second quarter against the Minnesota Lynx during game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

With their 67-62 win over the Minnesota Lynx in overtime, the New York Liberty have won the 2024 WNBA championship.

However, some people believe that the game shouldn't have gone to overtime in the first place due to a series of controversial calls that the game's referees made (or didn't make) that benefitted the Liberty.

Two controversial calls came with just a few seconds left in regulation, when Breanna Stewart was (supposedly) fouled while going up for a shot.

For one, the foul call itself was extremely questionable. It was challenged by the Lynx but ultimately wasn't overturned. Stewart then made both free throws to even the game, which ultimately was enough to send it to overtime.

Then there's the fact that Stewart seemed to clearly travel before she even went up for the shot.

Many fans (and two basketball icons) who are watching the game are lamenting this suspect refereeing in the waning seconds of regulation time.

NBA legend LeBron James wrote on X, "I’m sorry but that wasn’t a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battled tested game. 🤦🏾‍♂️".

Former NBA player Isaiah Thomas added, "They lowkey cheated for NY but I get it lol."

Sports media personality Bill Simmons added, "The officiating in the last 90 seconds of this WNBA game was an absolute joke."

X user Robert Littal added, "Refs definitely bailed the Liberty out. That was a travel and very very weak foul imo. But we are going to OT".

This is going to be a tough loss for the Lynx and its fanbase to swallow.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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