Officials inserted themselves into the final moments of regulation in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals and LeBron James wasn't a fan.
In the final moments of the fourth quarter of Game 5, the New York Liberty trailed the Minnesota Lynx 60–58 and New York had possession. Breanna Stewart got the ball near the top of the key, drove toward the hoop, and ran into Minnesota's Alanna Smith. That's when officials inserted themselves.
Officials called a shooting foul on Smith, giving Stewart two free throws. The Lynx challenged the call and lost. Stewart made both free throws to tie the game at 60–60 and force overtime.
Video is below.
Was this a foul on the #Lynx?!? pic.twitter.com/yzRp75tskC
— Nadine Babu (@NadineBabu) October 21, 2024
James immediately jumped on X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the call.
I’m sorry but that wasn’t a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battled tested game. 🤦🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 21, 2024
A lot of fans felt the same way.
In the end, it was a massively consequential call, as the Liberty took command in overtime and won the game 67–62 to earn their first WNBA championship.
People will be debating that call for years.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James Rips WNBA Refs Over Controversial Call Late in Liberty-Lynx Game 5.
