The WNBA did not fine Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve after her criticism of the officiating from the winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, a league source told ESPN.
Reeve said the championship was “stolen from us” after a foul was called on Minnesota’s Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds left in regulation and the Liberty down by two. Last year’s WNBA MVP, Breanna Stewart, went to the free throw line and made both attempts for New York to even the score, and the Liberty prevailed 67-62 in overtime to win the championship.
Reeve, who unsuccessfully challenged the foul call on Smith, called the officiating “incredibly disappointing” and said, “It’s a shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this.”
WNBA coaches and general managers have been fined throughout the year for public criticism of officiating, though those penalties have not been made public.
In Game 5, the Liberty shot 25 free throws to the Lynx’s eight, and there were 21 foul calls on Minnesota versus 17…
