Notable basketball figures like Isaiah Thomas and Damian Lillard have questioned the Liberty’s victory in overtime at Barclays Center, despite the fact that both teams put up a fierce fight.
Like many other fans, Lillard and Thomas accused the WNBA of manipulating the game to benefit the New York team. Both criticized the officials for their dubious judgments throughout the second half, which witnessed numerous startling calls that favored the Liberty.
Damian Lillard and Isaiah Thomas react to Liberty’s victory
Following the conclusion of the match, Dame took to X to share his opinions about what happened in the crucial Game 5. He wrote: “Refs called this game like they knew the assignment in the 2nd half boy. Great game.”
Thomas didn’t hold back from pointing out what he witnessed, but Lillard merely hinted at the purported bias that was allegedly at work.
Refs called this game like they knew the assignment in the 2nd half boy. Great game .
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 21, 2024
“They kind of cheated for NY, but I understand, lol,” the Pistons legend tweeted.
Now, the accusations of cheating weren’t made suddenly. Such concerns were aroused by a variety of incidents, such as the glaring disparity in the amount of free throws awarded to the two sides. The Liberty made 21 of the 25 free throws they were given during the contest. However, the Lynx were only allowed to have eight, and they only managed to make seven.
In a five-point game, a discrepancy like this seems suspicious.
They lowkey cheated for NY but I get it lol.
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) October 21, 2024
The supporters found the Lynx players’ foul calls to be too ridiculous. The fact that Breanna Stewart’s blatant trip was not called was another significant incident that infuriated the fans. The Lynx was called for a foul on the same play even though Stewart was obviously not fouled.
There isn’t any solid proof that the Liberty won the game because of cheating. Therefore, everyone who is speaking out against what happened is only doing so based on their perceptions of the game and what they witnessed. It’s difficult to argue against two elite players in that situation who think outside influences were involved. Furthermore, the Liberty defeating Minnesota in the championship game is undoubtedly a more profitable result.
