The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx, 67-62, in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night to win their first championship. While it was a thrilling final game of a huge a year for the league, there was some controversy down the stretch with some tough calls against the Lynx that even had LeBron James sounding off.
While Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve blasted the refs in her postgame press conference, fans and media blasted WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for the dress that she chose to wear to the game. In case you missed it, it featured the New York City skyline.
That dress and the bad calls, as well as a questionable tweet by the league, had many people claiming the WNBA really wanted New York to win.
Admirable, I suppose, the WNBA and its commish are not even trying to hide what it so wanted. Imagine another commissioner wearing the skyline of one of the two teams and another league tweeting the trophy is “where it belongs.” From the officiating to the aftermath, amateur hour https://t.co/oGA7aBhBQa
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 21, 2024
Often times the whole "the league wants Market X to win" is just a paranoid take from fans. But for the commissioner of the league to literally wear the NY skyline on her dress at Game 5, that's not a great look. https://t.co/AjgXQ5QsQW
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) October 21, 2024
it is high key nuts that no one told Cathy that dress was a bad idea on every level, but also she should know better https://t.co/aCkCtIxCVP
— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) October 21, 2024
I was going to give Cathy the benefit of the doubt thinking maybe she had changed into the dress after the game was over.
— Miss Tee ✨ (@MisguidedTee) October 21, 2024
But no, she actually wore a NYC skyline dress DURING the game.
The sitting WNBA Commissioner folks lol. https://t.co/FT1oG6xTS4
The commissioner is wearing the NYC skyline on her hideous dress. Tell me this isn’t rigged? She should be fired immediately. https://t.co/V1o01k8lNv
— Marc Hartman (@MarcHartman1) October 21, 2024
Cathy showing up in an NYC skyline dress was incredibly disrespectful @CathyEngelbert these women DESERVE BETTER
— Jasmine Patrice (@Shesahoopsgirly) October 21, 2024
They aren’t even trying to hide it. Just go ahead and ignore the Breanna Stewart travel right before the clear non-foul that was incorrectly upheld as a foul. We are used to it here in MN, but most other leagues at least try to disguise it.
— Ryan Donaldson (@RADonaldson) October 21, 2024
Shame on the W. https://t.co/Z1vkGmSTbs
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Ripped for Dress Choice at Lynx-Liberty Game 5.