Beater Cheryl Reeve blames refs for WNBA finals loss to Liberty in wild rant: 'S–t was stolen from us'

The Minnesota Lynx missed 44 of their 70 shots in a championship-deciding WNBA Finals Game 5 loss to the Liberty.

When their head coach Sherrill Reeve took to the microphone for a bitter postgame press conference Sunday night, she didn't miss a beat.

“All the headlines will be Reeve Cries Foul,” he said. “Bring it. Because this s–t was stolen from us. Bring it on.”

Reeve began the session by complaining about the officiating.

“Sometimes when you're physical and aggressive you get away with stuff and they certainly did,” Reeve said. “It's a shame that such a series had such a hand in duty.”

He later expanded.

“We know we could have done some things, but you don't have to go overboard [the officiating] To that extent,” Reeve said. “It's not that hard. Responsible? It's not that hard. When someone is held back, be consistent. If you don't want to call it one end, don't call it the other. …

“You have star players like Fee [the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier]. I don't understand it. I don't understand how to hold him and hit the basket, and then a rim [foul] At best, at best, sends their best players [Breanna Stewart] at the free-throw line.”

The Liberty attempted 25 free throws on the night, including one by Stewart that tied the game after a controversial foul call on Alanna Smith with five seconds left in two plays (the Lynx were whistled for 21 personal fouls, Collier fouled out in overtime). The Lynx made just eight free throws (the Liberty were called for 17 fouls).

Reeve ended on a sarcastic note: “Congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship. It took them 28 years, congratulations to them. We were close to our fifth.”

Reeve complained after the Liberty's Game 3 win that he said there was a favorable whistle for Stewart compared to Collier. After Minnesota's two-point win in Game 4, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello reversed the bias, urging the officials to be “fair” after the Lynx took a 20-9 advantage on free throws.

After Game 5, Reeve swiped the Liberty's previous WNBA sanction for unauthorized charter flights, as well as the ongoing investigation into potential salary-cap violations by the 2022 and 2023 champion Las Vegas Aces.

“Made a team within the rules,” Reeve said of his Lynx. “That's the kind of thing that's not happening in our league right now. And it's the hard way. We gave hope to the teams that didn't want to avoid the cap or fly illegally or all the things that happened in the last five years, right? And so, I mean, do it right.”

Brondello refused to get involved when it was his turn to take the stage.

“I thought they were pretty fair,” Brondello said of the refs. “But look, I have a lot of respect for Sherrill and I have a lot of respect for that Minnesota Lynx team because, man, it was ugly, but we found a way to win.”