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‘Not Gonna Change Anything,’ ‘Get Rid of WNBA Refs’ – Fans Divided As League Launches Investigation Into Liberty-Dream Timeout Controversy

The WNBA is reviewing a contentious timeout call from Game 2 of the Atlanta Dream’s playoff series against the New York Liberty, where the Liberty’s final overtime attempt fell short in a 101-98 loss. The dispute centers on whether the Liberty had a reset timeout available in the last two minutes of overtime, with conflicting accounts from players and officials.

Liberty star Breanna Stewart claimed referee Kevin Fahy told her the timeout was exhausted, while crew chief Fatou Cissoko-Stephens later stated Stewart was informed the reset was still available. The league’s investigation, which included video review and interviews, concluded that overlapping conversations and miscommunication led to the misunderstanding.

Despite the confusion, the WNBA stated no further action will be taken, though it acknowledged referees could improve handling such interactions. Fans reacted sharply, with some calling for referee replacements or immediate suspensions, while others dismissed the incident as a coaching responsibility.

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