Breanna Stewart isn't ready to let the Game 2 timeout mess fade away just yet. The New York Liberty superstar took one more swing at the WNBA's officiating before shifting her focus to Game 3, and she didn't hold back.
The chaos unfolded in the closing moments of overtime against the Atlanta Dream. Stewart missed a potential game-tying three-pointer, but what really raised eyebrows was that New York never advanced the ball with a final timeout. Fans were baffled. Why wouldn't the Liberty use their last chance to set up a better look?
According to Stewart, the refs told her the team had no timeouts left. "This is not blaming the refs, but 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," Stewart said, via ESPN. She described the exact exchange: she asked referee Kevin Fahy, who said he'd check with the scorer's table. Fahy then consulted crew chief Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, who allegedly said no. Fahy relayed that answer back to Stewart.
But the postgame pool report painted a different picture. Cissoko-Stephens claimed Stewart was standing behind Fahy when he confirmed with his partner that the Liberty did have a reset timeout remaining. The report added there was no direct communication with the officials or the team. That contradiction didn't sit well with Stewart.
"I don't want to talk about this too much since my focus is on Game 3," Stewart told reporters. "What I will say is you want to have respect between players and refs. In order to have respect, you need to build trust, and building trust comes with being honest. Putting me in a position to question my integrity is really disappointing. And I know who I am and what I stand for and what I heard."
For a three-time WNBA champion and eight-time All-Star, being at odds with the league's officials is a rare and uncomfortable spot. Stewart has built her career on professionalism and accountability, so having her word questioned publicly is a bitter pill. The controversy has already prompted the WNBA to open an investigation, which could bring some clarity—or more frustration.
Meanwhile, the Liberty have to block out the noise. Their season is on the line in Game 3 on Friday night, and the Dream are hungry to pull off the upset. Atlanta's confidence is soaring, especially after Angel Reese trolled her critics while pushing New York to the brink. The Liberty can't afford any more distractions.
Stewart and her teammates are focused on keeping their season alive, but the timeout controversy lingers. It's a reminder that even in a league full of elite talent, communication breakdowns can overshadow the game itself. For now, Stewart is choosing to channel her frustration into preparation, hoping the basketball does the talking in Game 3.
