Officiating became a major debate in the 2024 Finals after Breanna Stewart & Co. soared to victory in the foul-call-prompted overtime. Cheryl Reeve wasn’t the biggest fan of the decision and understandably so, after the Minnesota Lynx were in the face of a similar situation before. Flashback to 2016, a critical refereeing error cost them dearly against a Candace Parker-led LA Sparks. Having been a crucial part of the instance herself, Parker’s former teammate now expresses her view.
Appearing on “In Case You Missed It” with Khristina Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, 9-time WNBA All-Star discussed the infamous shot clock violation involving her that occurred during Game 5 of the Finals in 2016. “Oh Yeah, it was (a shot clock violation). Okay, I’m not gonna lie, the video is not gonna lie. They missed it,” she confessed, shedding light on the controversy that has resurfaced due to another loss for the Lynx in the finals due to a bad call.
The 2016 Finals were a defining moment for the Sparks and for Ogwumike, who later went on to serve as WNBPA President and a nine-time All-Star. Reflecting on the missed call, as well as the 8-second violation call in game 4, she added, “It is what it is. Yeah, I mean, they missed a backcourt violation the game before that, and at that time people were talking about both calls. Now, do we know if it would change the outcome of either one of those games or the series? We will never know. But it’s a part of the game.“
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For Ogwumike, who ultimately won that 2016 championship, the officiating mistakes are simply part of basketball. Yet for the Lynx, that loss has lingered, only resurfacing as another painful defeat in 2024, where a Game 5 that should have celebrated two of the league’s brightest stars, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, instead became mired in officiating controversy.
Revisiting the 2016 finals controversy amid 2024’s officiating drama
Despite the uncertainty surrounding that moment, Ogwumike nonchalantly, stated on the podcast, “Calls are missed all the time, and you know, we saw in Game Five that there were a lot of situations where people felt like calls could have gone different ways. It’s a part of basketball. But you know, no one can take away the fact that I won a championship, so I’m not really going to complain about it.”
Late in a tight game 5, Ogwumike made a bucket after the shot clock had expired. The jumper with 3.1 seconds left on the clock, off the rebound of her blocked shot, came to be the winning move for the LA Sparks, with a one-point lead. The referees had refused to review it live, sparking the controversy. But the league would later admit that it was indeed a shot clock violation and “that the referees improperly failed to review the play under the instant replay rules.”
via Imago
Oct 20, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) looks to drive past New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) in the second quarter during game five of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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Although Ogwumike has made her peace with the call, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve sees it differently. Even back then, the HC had expressed her frustration, stating it was unfair to the players who had invested so much in their games. The sentiment followed as she claimed the championship was “stolen” by officiating errors, after Minnesota’s latest finals’ loss.
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Did officiating blunders rob the Lynx of a rightful championship in both 2016 and 2024?
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While this conversation arose partly from speculations on the officiating in the 2024 Finals, it was also fueled by candid remarks from Candace Parker on X. “That call didn’t lose the game but boy it wlda prolly won it for Minny if it was overturned,” one of her posts concluded after Lynx managed to make not one shot in the overtime.
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Did officiating blunders rob the Lynx of a rightful championship in both 2016 and 2024?