Liberty coach rips pathetic WNBA refs after loss, shoe-throwing incident: Making stuff up

MONTREAL — The Liberty mounted a furious second-half comeback for the second consecutive day, yet the result was the same.The chaotic finish to Sunday’s game, which included a shoe being thrown, a subsequent ejection and what Liberty coach Chris DeMarco called “atrocious” and “pathetic” officiating, ended with New York falling to the Toronto Tempo 93-91 at Bell Centre as part of the WNBA’s celebration of its first Canadian franchise.DeMarco, as impassioned as ever, went on a fiery rant regarding the late-game officiating.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.

It started when he was asked about Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s ejection with 1:48 left in regulation.Laney-Hamilton told The Post she intended to throw Jonquel Jones’ shoe back to her teammate but instead accidentally hit the backside of Tempo guard Marina Mabrey.“I know just by the way that things were going throughout the game that it can look a certain way,” Laney-Hamilton said.“But that’s just not something that I would personally do … especially in a moment like that where the game is on the line.”Regardless of her intent, she received her second technical foul and was tossed.DeMarco said Laney-Hamilton’s ejection and the subsequent Tempi free throw changed the game’s momentum as the Liberty overcame a 15-point deficit.“I’ve never seen anything like it,” DeMarco said.

“We had all the momentum in the world.Shoe hit somebody, ejected, free throws … I’ve never seen one of the best players to ever play in this league attack the rim and get fouled and absolutely no call, and we’re just gonna play.

Atrocious.Pathetic.

It was pathetic.”DeMarco doubled down a moment later when asked for additional clarity on Laney-Hamilton’s ejection.“We’re just making stuff up, I have no idea,” he said.“You’re asking the wrong person.

I just know it was an atroci...