Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty are running out of time to save their season, but the frustration from Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss to the Atlanta Dream has added another layer to their playoff battle. With a controversial late-game timeout sequence leaving Stewart and her teammates questioning what happened, the WNBA has finally addressed the incident just minutes before the two teams take the court for Game 3.
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“As part of our standard process when a team makes an inquiry, we have reviewed multiple video angles and available audio, and spoken with those involved,” a WNBA spokesperson said, according to ESPN reporter Alexa Philippou. “It is clear on video and audio that Breanna Stewart asked Referee Kevin Fahy about the reset timeout. At that moment, there were multiple overlapping conversations and non-verbal exchanges between the referees, game participants, and also Stewart with Liberty bench personnel, which led to a misunderstanding amongst the various parties.”
“Our referees can certainly handle these interactions better and have been given that feedback. No further follow-up is expected on the situation at this time,” the league added.
The statement comes after a controversial sequence threatened to overshadow what had been a hard-fought Game 2 between the two teams. After falling short in the series opener, Stewart and the Liberty put up a much stronger fight on Wednesday, pushing Atlanta into overtime. However, the game ultimately slipped away 101-98 in the final seconds.
With 4.3 seconds remaining, a foul sent Angel Reese to the free-throw line, where the 24-year-old Dream star converted both attempts to give Atlanta a three-point lead. So with the game hanging in the balance, Breanna Stewart approached an official to ask for a timeout, only to be told that New York had none remaining.
That left the Liberty scrambling to organize their final possession, and Stewart eventually missed her desperation shot, sealing another Atlanta victory. The controversy, however, centered on the fact that New York believed it still had a timeout available, leaving the team wondering whether the final possession could have unfolded differently.
The Liberty subsequently made an official inquiry to the league, seeking clarity on the sequence. The WNBA has now acknowledged the miscommunication and conceded that its officials could have handled the interaction better, but the decision brings no further follow-up at this time.
Breanna Stewart, meanwhile, has made it clear that she does not intend to let the controversy consume the team’s attention as the Liberty prepare for a must-win Game 3.
“I really don’t want to talk much about this; my main focus is Game 3, but what I will say is you want to have respect between players and refs. In order to have respect, you need to build trust,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “Building trust comes with being honest. Putting me in a position to question my integrity is really disappointing. I know who I am and what I stand for and what I’ve heard, and that’s that, and I’m going to continue to move on.”
The stakes could hardly be higher for New York. Trailing 0-2 in the best-of-five semifinal series, the Liberty must secure a win on Friday night to keep their championship hopes alive. So even head coach Chris DeMarco acknowledged the need to move forward rather than allow the incident to become a distraction.
“I think we all saw it happen and we move on, and our focus is on tonight. It has to be. So we don’t want it to be a distraction. We’re back in our building, and they did what they’re supposed to do, and we got to do what we’re supposed [to],” he said.
The league has delivered its verdict, and New York’s attention now needs to shift to the court. Breanna Stewart and Co. have little room for error, and their response in Game 3 will determine whether they get another chance to extend their postseason run or see it come to an abrupt end.