Reeve Burst Actuator; Title 'Stolen' from Lynx

NEW YORK — Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the 2024 WNBA title was “stolen” from her team as she served an “incredibly disappointing” 67-62 overtime loss to the New York Liberty in Sunday's deciding Game 5. final

Reeve was especially incensed with a foul call on Lynx center Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. After missing a pair of foul shots a few plays earlier, 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart went to the free throw line and made both attempts to tie the score in favor of New York, effectively sending the game into overtime.

“All the headlines would be, 'Rive Foul is crying.' Bring it.” Reeve said. “Bring it. Because this— was stolen from us. Bring it.”

The Lynx challenged the call, but it was upheld. Reeve said after the game that a third party should be involved to review the challenges.

“On the other end when they challenged it, if we had played that clip, they would have told us it was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed,” Reeve said. “So, when you're reviewing, there should be the same parameters that you're reviewing with, but three people in the game need a fourth party to inform them. Because that's what the game decided.”

Reeve initially highlighted his issues with responsibility early in Minnesota's postgame press conference when asked about his offense's lack of production in the second half.

“I saw a very physical and aggressive New York team,” Reeve said. “We've known it from being a part of the game for so long that sometimes when you're physical and aggressive you get away with these things and they certainly did. It's a shame that the Directorate had such a hand in a series like this.”

The Liberty made 23 free throws to the Lynx's 6. Minnesota had 19 foul calls and New York had 12.

“These guys shot 30% [from the floor]. 30% shot,” Reeve said of the Liberty. “The difference was at the foul line.”

Minnesota superstar Nafisa Collier, who finished with 22 points, couldn't get to the free throw line in Game 5. Entering Sunday's contest, Collier — who went 11-for-23 from the floor in Game 5 — had never taken 20 field goal attempts without a free throw attempt in his career.

“I was held back a little bit. It was a little hard to shoot,” said Collier, who fouled out with 13.0 seconds left in overtime.

Reeve detailed his concerns.

“It just doesn't feel right that you lose a series with this level of inconsistency,” he said. “We don't have a team that whines and complains and all that stuff. Sometimes, it might hurt us. Maybe a little bit too much, I don't know, something. But you have a star player like Fee that — I Can't figure out how to hold him and hit him, and then a fringe, at best, sends their best player to the free throw line. It's hard to swallow.”

Asked to react to Reeve's comments, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of the referees, “I thought they were pretty fair.”

“The last game, where you get give and take. Game No. 1, we should have won that game,” Brondello said. “I have a lot of respect for Cheryl, and I have a lot of respect for that Minnesota Lynx team, because, man, it was ugly.

“But we found a way to win. I'm really proud of our team, how resilient we were, how we stuck together and how we kept believing in each other. That was our message today: just trust the process. We found a way to win. way.”

Both coaches had criticized the officiating earlier in the series, with Reeve calling out how Collier officiated differently than Stewart after Game 3 and Brondello pointing out the disparity in foul calls after Game 4 when the Liberty made nine free throws to the Lynx's 20.

“Officiating, it's not that hard,” Reeve said. “When somebody is being held, be consistent. If you don't want to call it a hold on one end, don't call it on the other end. Be consistent. Every team asks for that. Sandy said that last game. Three games into this series, we Talking about the same damn thing.”

Games 1, 3 and 4 were also incredibly close until the end, each decided by two or three points. This Finals series was the first with multiple games to go to overtime, and Sunday marked the first time a winner-take-all Finals Game 5 went into OT.

Reflecting on the season, Reeve called his team “[doing] The right way to do things. [We] We've built teams within the rules… We've given hope to teams that don't want to fly the cap or illegally or avoid all the things that have happened in the last five years.”

New York was previously fined $500,000 for illegally chartering flights during the 2021 season. The Las Vegas Aces have had their 2025 first-round draft pick revoked for violating league rules regarding player benefits, and the franchise is being investigated by the league for its players' sponsorship deal with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Reeve — a four-time champion as coach of the Lynx (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017) — called the result “disappointing” and compared it to Minnesota's 2016 Finals run that he said he “lost in officiating,” referring to Game 5 with 1:12 left. Violation of remaining shot clock.

“It's a championship for both teams,” Reeve said. “Let them decide. Any contact should be legal for both teams. It's not that hard. So, it's disappointing. I mean, congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship … it's taken them 28 years. Congratulations to them. We're close to our fifth. “