Liberty coach Sandy Brondello fires back at Cheryl Reeve's criticism of officials: "That's what you're gonna get, give and take"

New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello hit back at Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve after she lashed out at the officials following her team's WNBA Finals loss. Officiating became a major talking point after the Liberty secured their first WNBA title with a thrilling 67-62 overtime victory in Game 5 on Sunday.

In the post-game press conference, Reeve fiercely criticized the officiating, boldly asserting that the Lynx had the WNBA championship "stolen" from them. When questioned about Reeve's remarks, Brondello initially appeared to scoff at her counterpart’s statement.

Brondello then defended the officiating, asserting that the referees were "fair" throughout the game. She also highlighted how the officiating had been throughout the series.

"I thought they were pretty fair," Brondello said as the reporters burst into laughter. "That's what you're gonna get, give and take - game number one we should have won. I have so much respect for Cheryl and that Minnesota Lynx team. That was ugly, but we found a way to win."

The controversy over the officiating flared when the Lynx’s Alanna Smith was called for a foul on Breanna Stewart with 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation. Breanna calmly sank both free throws, tying the game and forcing overtime, which ultimately led to New York winning the championship.

Cheryl Reeve strongly criticizes referees

Officiating had been a contentious issue throughout the series, with Cheryl Reeve publicly criticizing the referees after the Game 3 loss and Sandy Brondello voicing her frustration following New York's Game 4 loss. On Sunday, Reeve intensified the focus on officiating during her post-game media address.

"All the headlines will be, 'Reeve cries foul.' Bring it on." Reeve said. "Bring it on. Because this sh** was stolen from us. Bring it on.

"At the other end when they challenged it, if we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that this was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed.

"So, when you review, there should be the same parameters that you're reviewing with, but the three people on the game need a fourth party to let them know. Because that decided the game," the Lynx coach added.

Several prominent figures from the basketball community echoed Reeve's criticism of the officiating. Notable names like LeBron James and Damian Lillard also expressed their frustration over how the games were officiated.