Breanna Stewart Criticizes Officials Over Timeout Miscommunication in Liberty's Overtime Loss

The New York Liberty faced controversy following their 101-98 overtime defeat to the Atlanta Dream in Game 2 of their semifinal series. Breanna Stewart accused the referees of incorrectly informing the Liberty that they had no timeouts left during the final seconds of the game.

With 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime, the Dream extended their lead with two free throws. The Liberty, who had previously executed a successful play to tie the game, attempted a long pass instead of calling a timeout. The pass was tipped, and Stewart's last-second shot missed, leading to questions about the coaching decision.

Stewart clarified that the team was told by officials they had no reset timeout, despite having one available. Head coach Chris DeMarco echoed her sentiments, stating that multiple staff members received the same information. The Liberty had used their timeouts earlier in the overtime period, but according to the WNBA rulebook, they should have been able to utilize their reset timeout at that critical moment.