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LeBron James Rips WNBA Refs Over Controversial Call Late in Liberty-Lynx Game 5

Ryan Phillips

Breanna Stewart hit two free throws late in regulation to send Game 5 of the WNBA finals to overtime.
Breanna Stewart hit two free throws late in regulation to send Game 5 of the WNBA finals to overtime. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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Officials inserted themselves into the final moments of regulation in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals and LeBron James wasn't a fan.

In the final moments of the fourth quarter of Game 5, the New York Liberty trailed the Minnesota Lynx 60–58 and New York had possession. Breanna Stewart got the ball near the top of the key, drove toward the hoop, and ran into Minnesota's Alanna Smith. That's when officials inserted themselves.

Officials called a shooting foul on Smith, giving Stewart two free throws. The Lynx challenged the call and lost. Stewart made both free throws to tie the game at 60–60 and force overtime.

Video is below.

James immediately jumped on X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the call.

A lot of fans felt the same way.

In the end, it was a massively consequential call, as the Liberty took command in overtime and won the game 67–62 to earn their first WNBA championship.

People will be debating that call for years.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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