The New York Liberty are officially WNBA Champions! This was not just the most-watched WNBA finals ever, but likely the most-watched Game 5 in WNBA history—maybe even the most-watched game in the past 20 years. And yet, one name was missing: Caitlyn Clark.
That’s the reality; this game got all this attention, and she wasn’t even on the court. But today, we’re diving into something different: how much NBA media has suddenly been talking about the WNBA. There’s been more talk than ever, but it’s all about one thing—how the game was rigged.
Let’s start by looking at some moments from the fourth quarter. Nara was fouled by F Collier so blatantly, yet no whistle was blown. Collier was fouled at least five times while shooting—pushed, slapped—and didn’t get a single free throw. Then we had the infamous call involving Alana Smith and Brianna Stewart. To set the record straight, Smith didn’t even touch Stewart; Stewie just threw the ball near the basket and somehow ended up with free throws.
It’s really interesting to see how NBA players reacted to all of this. Let’s start with Damian Lillard; he tweeted that the refs called the game like they knew the assignment. Even before halftime, people were commenting on how crazy the calls were. Then Shakira Austin, a borderline WNBA All-Star, jumped in with “refs sold,” which basically means the refs handed the game to New York.
Next, Bill Simmons chimed in, calling the officiating in the last 90 seconds an absolute joke. But the real kicker was Isaiah Thomas, saying they “Loki cheated for New York,” but he understood. LeBron James also added that it wasn’t a foul and we should “let the damn players decide the outcome of a close game like this.”
When NBA legends are publicly calling out the refereeing, you know something’s wrong. Even WNBA media personalities are embarrassed by what went down. One tweet summed it up perfectly: with so many eyes on this amazing WNBA finals, the amount of NBA players calling out the refs for cheating is so embarrassing.
The Liberty were the best team all season, but in this game, the Minnesota Lynx were 15 points better. The problem is people aren’t going to remember that; they’ll remember the controversy, bad calls, and the feeling that the game was rigged.
Let’s be real—F Collier was a standout for Minnesota. Even in an ugly game, she made huge plays, yet the refs kept finding ways to favor the Liberty. They couldn’t tie the game earlier, so it’s not like it was just one bad call; it was a series of questionable calls that decided this game.
The WNBA tweeted that the championship was hard-fought and earned, but how can you call it earned when the refs essentially decided the outcome? Sure, the Liberty were great all season, but winning three out of five games is how you earn a championship. The Lynx won two games and had Game 4 completely rigged against them—it’s clear as day.
No matter how much the WNBA tries to spin it, anyone who knows basketball understands what really happened. Whether you’re an NBA player, a WNBA fan, or just someone who loves the game, you know this game was rigged—plain and simple.
Now, Caitlyn Clark has even reacted to the game in a winning Instagram post, where she commented, “not a fair game.” It looks like Caitlyn is not happy with the refs, just like others.
