WNBA makes final Cheryl Reeve decision after controversial “stolen” Finals critique

Sources have said that the WNBA has decided not to fine Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve after her pointed criticism of officiating in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals on Oct. 20. Reeve’s comments came after a controversial foul call on Lynx player Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds left in regulation, which allowed New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart to tie the game with two free throws. The Liberty went on to secure the championship with a 67-62 win in overtime, leaving Reeve and many Lynx fans frustrated with the officiating decisions that had significant impacts on the game’s outcome.

WNBA coaches and officials have faced fines throughout the year for their criticisms of officiating.

Reeve, who challenged the foul on Smith but saw it upheld, said postgame that the officiating was “incredibly disappointing,” asserting that the championship felt “stolen” from the Lynx due to officiating discrepancies.

“It just doesn’t feel right that you lose a series with that level of discrepancy,” Reeve said, as reported by Alexa Philippou of ESPN.

She pointed to the disparity in free throw attempts, with the Liberty shooting 25 compared to the Lynx’s eight, and noted that officiating “shouldn’t be that hard” to keep fair in such a high-stakes series. Reeve also highlighted other missed calls, particularly on fouls against Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who took 18 shots in the paint but didn’t attempt a single free throw.

Sandy Brondello also frustrated with Finals series officiating like Cheryl Reeve

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Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello also voiced her frustrations with officiating earlier in the series, especially after Game 4, where she noted that New York didn’t receive calls on what she considered fouls. Following that loss, Brondello remarked that she typically doesn’t complain about officiating but was frustrated by the lack of consistency.

The New York Liberties thrilling Game 5 overtime victory against

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“I know Cheryl talked about it last time, but we got no calls today,” Brondello said after the Lynx win to force Game 5. “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.

“All we want is fair, OK. So if we are getting hit, that’s a foul. You know, I’m one of the nicest bloody coaches in this league, but this pisses me off. Just be fair.”

Despite this, Brondello expressed satisfaction with Game 5’s outcome, praising her team’s resilience in an “ugly” but hard-fought victory that brought New York its first WNBA title.

“I thought they were pretty fair,” Brondello said. “After the last game, you know, you have to give and take. Game 1, we should’ve won that game. But I have so much respect for Cheryl and the Minnesota Lynx team. It was ugly but we found a way to win.”