The New York Liberty’s inaugural WNBA championship was a hard-fought victory over the Minnesota Lynx in a thrilling overtime game. The Liberty, down by seven points heading into the final quarter, staged a furious comeback, with the lead changing hands multiple times in the closing minutes of regulation.
A controversial foul call with just seconds remaining proved to be a turning point. With the Lynx leading by two points, Breanna Stewart drove into the lane and was fouled by Alanna Smith. Despite the Lynx’s challenge, the original call stood, and Stewart calmly sank both free throws to tie the game at 60-60. Kayla McBride’s missed three-pointer for the Lynx sent the game into overtime.
In the extra period, the Liberty’s experience and effective clock management paid dividends as they maintained control of the game. Breanna Stewart once again delivered, sinking two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to seal the victory. A steal by Leonie Fiebich allowed the Liberty to run out the clock, securing a dramatic win in one of the most intense Game 5s in WNBA Finals history.
However, the Liberty’s victory was overshadowed by controversy surrounding the officiating. The Lynx coach, Cheryl Reeve, was particularly critical of the foul call on Alanna Smith, arguing that there was little to no contact between Stewart and Smith. Reeve’s comments ignited a debate about the quality of officiating in the WNBA and the impact of controversial calls on close games.
