New York Liberty Wins First WNBA Championship

The WNBA Finals concluded with the New York Liberty defeating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in a highly contested Game 5, but the victory has been marred by controversy over officiating. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve criticized the referees for a disputed foul against Breanna Stewart that allowed her to tie the game with free throws, claiming that the game was 'stolen' from her team. The foul disparity was stark, with the Liberty awarded 25 free throw attempts compared to the Lynx's 8. NBA stars LeBron James and Damian Lillard echoed these sentiments, expressing frustration that the referees disrupted the flow of the game and did not allow players to determine the outcome. Despite the controversy, the Liberty celebrated their first WNBA championship, while the Lynx lamented what they felt was a missed opportunity. The incident has sparked significant discussion among fans and analysts about officiating standards in high-stakes games.