Imagine this, it’s the 4th quarter, time is winding down, the New York Liberty are making a comeback. The Liberty’s All Stars are having tough night with Brenna Stewart and Saberina Ionescu shooting 5/34 from the field overall. They bring it up the floor with pace, Ionescu passes it to Stewart on the wing, she drives into the lane, jumps, and shoots! It’s off! The Lynx believe they are one step closer to winning the ship, but no! There is a late whistle that sends Stewart to the line to shoot 2 free throws to tie the game. So, the question is, foul or no foul?
The 2024 season has been the WNBA’s most popular and exciting by far. With superstars like A’ja Wilison, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Napheesa Collier the league has been able to cultivate a following unparalleled to anything seen before. There is no better end to a groundbreaking season than a competitive final series. From the nail-biting endings, comebacks, and shining superstars, you could not have asked for anything more. Unfortunately, there was one thing that had fans upset, the referees. Now the refs are not perfect, and they always are missing a call or favoring someone else, no matter the sport. But they are getting particularly bad reviews from both fans and players after a call that could have changed the outcome of the game Sunday night
When Alana Smith was called for a shooting foul on Brenna Stewart the Lynx were in dismay. Coach of the year, Cheryl Reeves, felt so strongly that the call was incorrect she used her only challenge to have the refs review the call. After a long review, the referees determined that Alana smith was in an Illegal guarding position. According to the NBA video rulebook, “To get into a legal guarding position, the defender needs to establish himself in the path of the offensive player before contact is made.” This is clearly a subjective call that the is determined using the referee’s discretion. There are also some other factors to consider that sparked some contention. Stewart ended the game with one foul whereas the Lynx’s leading scorer Napheesa Collier ended with 6. The Liberty are also the only original franchise that had not won a championship, some fans think that played a part in the one-sided officiating. Coach Reeves stated in the post-game press conference that “I know the headlines will be, ‘Reeve cries foul,” and “Bring it on. Bring it on — because this shit was stolen from us.” Despite critics, the Lynx players and Coaching staff have continued to be vocal about the disproval of the officiating. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has refrained from making any comments on the controversy, but she has faced some backlash for the New York themed dress she wore to the game. Some claim that this was a direct indication of favoritism and incredibly disrespectful to the Lynx organization.
Overall, it was an exhilarating playoff to end the most promising WNBA season to date. If trends continue upward the next few seasons will be must watch events that capture eyes from all over the country. I’m sure Lynx fans were hoping for a different outcome, two new teams entering the league marks the beginning of a new era. An era where women’s basketball will be a stable of Athletics in America so “Welcome to the W”.
