MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 18: Head coach Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx reacts during the ... [ ] second quarter against the New York Liberty in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on October 18, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

As a packed Barclays Center celebrated the New York Liberty’s overtime victory over the Minnesota Lynx to win the franchise’s first WNBA championship, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made no secret of her displeasure about the officiating in the winner-take-all Game 5.

“All the headlines will be ‘Reeve cries foul.’ Bring it on,” Reeve said. “Bring it on. Because this s—- was stolen from us.”

At the center of her ire was the foul call on Lynx center Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds left in regulation, which sent 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart to the free throw line with the Lynx up 60-58. The Liberty star had missed two foul shots a few plays earlier, but she made both attempts, tying the score. The game went into overtime, where the Liberty pulled away to win 67-62.

The Lynx challenged the call, but it was upheld after video review. WNBA rules state “incidental contact with the hand against an offensive player shall be........

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