New footage contradicts referees reset timeout claim in twist to controversial Liberty loss
ATLANTA — New footage directly contradicts the WNBA’s pool report following the Liberty’s Game 2 overtime loss and confirms that New York star Breanna Stewart asked league official Kevin Fahy whether the team still had a reset timeout. Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.ESPN’s “NBA Today” revealed the new video angle and audio on Thursday.Stewart can be clearly heard asking Fahy about the reset timeout while Angel Reese prepared to shoot a pair of free throws in a one-possession game with 4.3 seconds left in overtime.Stewart was also seen on the broadcast turning to her team’s bench and making a gesture for a reset timeout, which would have allowed New York to advance the ball to the frontcourt and potentially make substitutions. Fahy, the closest ref to Stewart, appeared to wave off Stewart’s suggestion to use the reset timeout.
Fahy also appears to make a “zero” with his hand as if to tell the Liberty they have no timeouts left.The Liberty ended up inbounding the ball on the opposing baseline.Stewart’s 3-point heave at the buzzer fell short as the Dream survived 101-98 to put the Liberty on the brink of elimination. “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 after New York fell into a 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five semifinal series.
“Like yeah, OK, I kind of got a good look at the end, but would just love to have some clarity on that situation as well.”Coach Chris DeMarco, like Stewart, said “multiple staff” were told by officials that the Liberty didn’t have a reset timeout. Crew chief Fatou Cissoko-Stephens denied in a pool report that an official spoke to the Liberty about the timeouts.The league didn’t return The Post’s inquiry regarding the new ...