Dawn Staley Sarcastically Calls Out WNBA Referees Amid Controversial NY Liberty-Lynx Series

The WNBA Finals have been nothing but thrillers! After already captivating fans with two games that came down to buzzer-beater shots, the New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx matchup delivered yet another nail-biter. This time, the decisive moment came with just two seconds remaining on the clock—a free throw awarded after a foul call against the Liberty; making for another line of focus towards the officiating in this series. This time, however, it was Dawn Staley riding waves on the matter.

The game had just wrapped up in favor of the Lynx, pushing the WNBA Finals to a thrilling Game 5, when WNBA legend Dawn Staley took to her X account to drop a sarcastic bomb. Known for her sharp wit, she humorously expressed hope that her college team won’t see any of the same officials once the NCAA season kicks off.

She tweeted, “Whoever wins this @WNBA championship earned it!!!! And I must say, the officials will have earned their pay. AND I hope we don’t get any of the finals officials during the first few weeks of our season….they need a much needed break! 🤣🤣🤣 ” While it’s unclear if the South Carolina head coach will avoid seeing the same referees in college basketball, her tweet seems to echo the dissatisfaction both the Liberty and Lynx have already voiced throughout the Finals.

The Liberty had their share of challenges with the officials with two key review calls in the first half. The first review upheld the referee’s original decision, but the second worked in the Liberty’s favor, overturning the initial call. The referees called 14 fouls on the Liberty, while the Lynx committed only nine—marking the first time in the series the Lynx had fewer fouls than their opponents. This change comes after the Lynx players and head coach have constantly expressed disappointment about the calls in previous games.

Officiating woes add fuel to the WNBA Finals drama as Liberty and Lynx Battle to Game 5

This series has been a true back-and-forth battle, with both the Lynx and Liberty trading leads. The Lynx started strong with an overtime win in Game 1, but then dropped two straight matchups. Since then, the players haven’t outright blamed but have definitely hinted that officiating has been an obstacle.

After a tough 14-point loss in Game 2, Lynx star Napheesa Collier was the first to speak out on the matter. “It’s hard, you have to adjust to the refs. I mean, definitely it’s not an excuse. We played really bad… but it’s hard to adjust because you are playing one way and you are gonna used to the refs and they change it up,” said Collier.

However, in that game, officials evenly called fouls for both teams (15), but the foul disparity widened in Game 3 (Liberty-13 & Lynx-18), prompting head coach Cheryl Reeve and injured Alanna Smith to speak out on the officiating. After the last-second defeat, Cheryl Reeve accused the officials of biased calls, especially against Collier.

“She got fouled. She was asserting herself in that way. The game’s called differently for Phee than it is for Stewie, for sure… for whatever reason, we have a hard time getting to the foul line in this series,” mentioned Reeve in post game conference. Tuning to the coach’s rhythm, the Lynx center Alanna Smith also shared her thoughts on the game’s physicality, noting that the referees missed calls as well. However, she maintained a neutral stance, recognizing that missed calls affected both teams.

Now, when Game 4 brought a shift in foul calls, this time against the Liberty, head coach Sandy Brondello voiced her frustrations. “I will say this—I know Cheryl said it last time, but we got no calls today,” she admitted, highlighting the ongoing officiating issues.

Despite the controversies, the excitement surrounding the WNBA continues to attract more viewers as Staley asserted “Whoever wins this WNBA Championship earned it.”