The Minnesota Lynx lost to Liberty in Game 5 of the championship-clinching WNBA Finals, missing 44 of 70 shots.
When head coach Cheryl Reeve sat down at the microphone for a bitter postgame press conference Sunday night, she didn't miss a word.
“All the headlines are going to be Reeve's cry,” she said. “Come on. Because this was stolen from us. Come on.”
Reeve started the session complaining about the host.
“When you're physical and aggressive, sometimes things don't work out, and they certainly did,” Reeve said. “It's unfortunate that the host was involved in a series like this.”
She later expanded.
“I know there were things I could have done, but I don’t have to go through with it.” [the officiating] To that extent,” Reeve said. “This isn't that hard. Moderator? It's not that hard. When someone is tied up, be consistent. If you don't want to call on one side, don't call on the other.” Please…
“There are star players like Fee.” [the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier]. I don't understand. I don't understand how she can get grabbed, go to the basket, get hit, and get hit by a close second. [foul] At best, at best, send the best players. [Breanna Stewart] to the free throw line. ”
Liberty attempted 25 free throws that night, including two by Stewart that tied the game with five seconds left in regulation after a controversial foul call on Alana Smith (the Lynx made 21 personal He was whistled for a foul and Collier fouled out in overtime). The Lynx only hit eight free throws (Liberty was called for 17 fouls).
Reeve concluded sarcastically. “Congratulations to Liberty on their first win. It took 28 years, congratulations. We were pretty close to fifth place.”
Reeve complained after Liberty's Game 3 win that the whistle favored Stewart compared to Collier. After Minnesota won by two points in Game 4, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello asked officials to be “fair” after the Lynx had a 20-9 advantage in free throws. I returned the favor.
After Game 5, Reeve also spoke about the Liberty's previous WNBA sanctions for unauthorized charter flights and the ongoing investigation into possible salary cap violations by the 2022 and 2023 champion Las Vegas Aces. harshly criticized.
“We built a team within the rules,” Reeve said of the Lynx. “Things like that probably don't happen in our league at this point. And we did it the hard way. It gave hope to a team that hated everything that happened, right? I mean, let's do it the right way.”
When it was Brondello's turn to take the podium, he refused to participate.
“I thought they were pretty fair,” Brondello said of the referees. “But look, I have a lot of respect for Sherrill and I have a lot of respect for the Minnesota Lynx team, because even though it was ugly, we found a way to win. is.”
