Wild timeout controversy hangs over Liberty’s Game 2 loss that puts season on brink
ATLANTA — With Angel Reese on the free-throw line in a one-possession game with 4.3 seconds left in overtime Wednesday night, the Liberty were looking for answers.
Breanna Stewart asked crew chief Kevin Fahy if the Liberty had a reset timeout. She said she asked another official too.
Fahy wasn’t entirely sure. He said he’d check. The Liberty were told no.
New York’s final attempt fell short. Stewart’s 3-pointer was off the mark. And the Liberty ultimately fell to the Atlanta Dream 101-98, putting New York’s season on life support.
The Liberty, now trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five semifinals, learned after the game they had a reset timeout after all and could’ve advanced the ball on the final possession.
“When I ask both refs if we have a reset timeout at the end, and they tell us no and then we leave the game with the reset timeout, it’s pretty frustrating,” Breanna Stewart said. “I kind of got a good look at the end but would just love to have some clarity on that situation as well.”
Sabrina Ionescu said she also inquired about the reset timeout and was told they didn’t have it.
“I feel like that’s something that they should know, I guess we had one,” Ionescu said. “I didn’t find that out until after.”
Ionescu acknowledged an officiating blunder to that degree “can cost [a team] the game for us.”
“I just feel like that’s unacceptable for the fact that we asked multiple times and they were telling us no,” Ionescu said. “So I mean, nothing we can do about it now. Mistakes happen, but obviously that’s a costly mistake.”
Leonie Fiebich didn’t blame officiating for the loss.
“It sounds like a big drama, but I don’t think that’s the reason why we lost,” Fiebich said. “Of course, it’s unfortunate, but I think we could have won before that, didn’t let it come that far.”
That was far from the only drama on display in Game 2.
The Liberty and Atlanta Dream battled in a game that included 17 lead changes and eight ties.
Rookie Marine Fauthoux drained a game-tying 3 with 9.9 seconds left. Rhyne Howard’s potential game-winner rolled off the rim.
The two teams needed an extra five minutes to determine the winner.
The first half felt like the inverse of Game 1. The Dream outplayed the Liberty — and yet New York hung around. There were 13 lead changes and six ties over the first 20 minutes.
The whistle-happy officiating crew disrupted the flow of the game, calling 27 fouls in the first half.
The Liberty, who missed seven free throws in the first half, trailed 56-54 at the break.
The game stayed close. But Atlanta always seemed to have a counter for the Liberty.
Fauthoux, who started the season as a developmental player, came up huge, finishing with 20 points, four 3-pointers, six rebounds and four assists off the bench. She sank a game-tying 3 to force overtime.
Stewart scored 25 of her 35 points in the first half.
The Liberty’s luck may be running out. New York made history with an impressive sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round.
But the Liberty came to Atlanta to face a red-hot Dream team.
Atlanta hasn’t lost since before the FIBA break. Wednesday extended the team’s win streak to eight.
The Liberty will return to Brooklyn for a win-or-go-home Game 3 Friday.
“Quick turnaround,” Stewart said. “Knowing that we’re not focused on winning three straight right now. We’re focused on winning one game, and that’s Friday.”