28 seasons and 934 regular season games. That’s the perseverance shown by the New York Liberty to win their first Championship title. After making it to the 5 Championship Finale series and returning empty-handed previously, the Liberty did not lose hope and geared up for another season. As the 2024 regular season came to its end, New York was ranked at the top spot. And finally, after 11 nail-biting playoff matchups, the Liberty finally clinched their first silverware, a story that would surely melt hearts. However, that is the very same reason a popular American columnist feels the Liberty were handed the title without deserving it, and the WNBA desperately needs figures like Caitlin Clark.

On Tuesday Jason Whitlock dropped a video on his namesake YouTube channel, blaming the W for being “rigged” and unfairly supporting the Liberty, also reasoning why the league needed Clark more than ever.

“It was an embarrassment for the WNBA last night. It was proof that this league is so heavily dependent on Caitlin Clark. It’s proof that these games are manipulated, and I know that’s a strong statement. That’s why this over the shoulder says rigged because the WNBA and sports now are so into narrative, so anti-merit, so into what’s the best story for the league: that they went out of their way and did everything in their power to make sure the New York Liberty won their first championship in the 27… 28 year history of the WNBA…,” Whitlock stated.

With 5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game in favor of the Lynx by a 60-58 margin, their star Alanna Smith was given a shooting foul, where the referee announced that Alanna Smith was “not in the legal guarding position.” The Liberty star Breanna Stewart caught the inbounding ball and attempted a layup while going inside the paint. Smith raised her hand to block the shot and the refs called a foul, opining that she had made contact with Stewie’s hand. However, their head coach Cheryl Reeve challenged it.

Due to Reeve’s challenge, the foul was reviewed by the refs, who upheld their call, enumerating that Smith was not in a legal guarding position. Stewie then, with the two free throws tied the game, forcing an OT, ultimately giving the Liberty their first title. After the game, Reeve expressed her dissatisfaction with the refs, opining that the game was “stolen” from her team. Whitlock too sided with Reeve, implying that the league needs Clark to enhance its popularity and make themselves interesting.

“Is New York’s first title since X Y and Z and they made some officiating late in that game that Tim Don has to be somewhere just laughing his rear end off.. like oh my God I thought the Sacramento Kings Lakers series from years ago I thought that was rigged. Did you watch this? This is what happens when they destroy merit across the board. This whole DEI mentality that is pervasive throughout American institutions and everybody’s trying to mimic DEI and so what is the obviously is diversity Equity inclusion,” Whitlock added.

The 2002 NBA Finals had the LA Lakers clashing with the Sacramento Kings. Game 6 drew a lot of flak as fans opined that the game was rigged in favor of the Lakers. After several years, the ref Tim Donaghy had accused the officials of fixing the game. Therefore, in order to win back the faith of fans, such situations need merit.

Clark has been an icon of meritocracy in the league. Though she has been called out for her privilege by some, it doesn’t take much to notice that the point guard has broken record after record. She currently holds the single-season assist, single-season most points by a rookie, single-season second-highest three-point shots, and the first rookie to score two triple-doubles record. Hence, she has backed her hype with her performances. Therefore, Whitlock feels that the league needs more players like Clark, who exemplify the idea of meritocracy and would help restore faith in fairness after what transpired on Sunday. As for Smith’s foul, a lot many NBA stars have also backed Reeve, including one of the current Lakers icon.

LeBron James among others back Cheryl Reeve

Once the game was over, Reeve, as mentioned, stated that the win was stolen from them. She called Smith’s contact “marginal” and also advocated for a third party to look into the refs’ decisions. And in her call for calling out the officials’ partiality, she was supported by NBA stars namely LeBron James, Damian Lillard, and the legend Isaiah Thomas.

“I’m sorry but that wasn’t a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battled tested game. 🤦🏾‍♂️,” James tweeted. “Refs called this game like they knew the assignment in the 2nd half boy. Great game.,” Lillard pointed out subtly hinting that the game was rigged. Thomas went as far as calling it cheating on the part of refs. “They lowkey cheated for NY but I get it lol,” he tweeted. Therefore, the calls for partiality amplified with time.

Hopefully, the W will come soon to clarify the reason for their decision. As of now, Whitlock and other stars can also take a backseat and prep for the next season as the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ is here to stay.