The 2024 WNBA season officially concluded last night with the New York Liberty beating the Minnesota Lynx to claim this year’s WNBA title.
If you are like me, you probably checked out once Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever was eliminated from the postseason. I was rooting for her and the Fever (and may or may not have had a lucrative futures bet on them winning the title), and once they got knocked out, I turned my sports bandwidth elsewhere. Caitlin Clark carried the entire league to unprecedented popularity this season, and still, the league lost a cool $40 million.
However, I did notice that there were a couple of things from the Game 5 of the WNBA Finals that were getting the attention of the casual sports fan. One X user posted a clip from the fourth quarter of the game, when the Liberty and the Lynx were neck and neck as the game winded down.
It’s important to note that even professional athletes can feel the crushing weight of crunch time, and that’s my theory as to why the two WNBA teams combined for three shots that never even hit the rim in less than a minute of game time.
The person who took the video and posted it provided this commentary as the Lynx and the Liberty went back and forth:
“You’re going to tell me these are the best two teams in women’s basketball? This is as good as it gets, huh?”
The WNBA is a mess. pic.twitter.com/mvezh66Npc
— Stuttering Craig (Official) (@StutteringCraig) October 21, 2024
Yikes… not exactly the pinnacle of basketball right there.
And to make matters worse, the crucial Game 5 is now being criticized for how it was officiated. Some fans are saying that the refs – thus the WNBA – wanted the New York Liberty to win the championship. A controversial foul call led to Liberty star Breanna Stewart knocking down two free throws in order to send the game to overtime.
With the Lynx up by 2 points and 5 seconds left in the game, a foul was called on Alanna Smith
The Lynx challenged the call but it was unsuccessful. Breanna Stewart hit both free throws and we are going to OT!!#WNBA pic.twitter.com/DzFra6gIis
— WNBA Universe (@wnbauniverse) October 21, 2024
New York then won the game in the extra period 67 to 62, and guess what? WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was wearing a dress that was decorated with the New York skyline when she handed the trophy over to the New York Liberty.
Rigged? Fans certainly think so:
Sabrina and The Liberty raise the WNBA championship trophy 🏆pic.twitter.com/avMSkYDDIb
— NBA 𝕏 Hall Of Fame (@nbaxhalloffame) October 21, 2024
The official WNBA account even deleted a video they had posted of the commissioner handing the trophy over in her New York themed dress, and those online were quick to call them out on it. So not only was the championship deciding game tough to watch, it’s now being accused of being fixed!
Why did you delete this photo of the WNBA commissioner wearing a dress with the New York skyline on it to game 5 which was decided by an egregiously bad foul call at the end of regulation (preceded by a terrible non call on Stewart’s travel) which decided the entire championship. pic.twitter.com/83LZJ83xUD
— minnesorta (@minnesorta) October 21, 2024
