Liberty make official inquiry into reset timeout dispute after overtime loss to Dream in WNBA semifinals

The Atlanta Dream moved within one victory of a WNBA Finals berth after outlasting the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime Wednesday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the semifinal series.

However, Game 2’s dramatic finish was overshadowed by controversy after New York star Breanna Stewart said officials incorrectly told the Liberty they did not have a reset timeout available in the closing seconds, even though the team still had one remaining.

"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 told reporters after the game.

DREAM MOVE WITHIN ONE WIN OF FIRST WNBA FINALS APPEARANCE SINCE 2013 AFTER OVERTIME VICTORY Under league rules, each team is given two team timeouts and one reset timeout during overtime, allowing it to advance the ball without huddling on the sideline.

Stewart continued later: "I asked Kevin [Fahy].

I said, 'Do we have a reset timeout?' And he said, 'I'm going to check at the table.' So then he looked to [crew chief] Fatou [Cissoko-Stephens], and she said, 'No.' So then he told me, 'No.'" A late New York turnover gave Atlanta an opportunity to put the game away.

Angel Reese , the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, went to the foul line and sank both free throws to extend the Dream’s lead to three points.

The Liberty inbounded from under their own basket and got the ball to Stewart, but her desperation shot was no good as the clock ticked to triple zeros.

WNBA'S OFFICIATING OVERHAUL IS ALREADY DRAWING COMPLAINTS FROM PLAYERS AND COACHES ONE WEEK INTO SEASON "Of course, who knows what happened to end the game," Stewart said.

"But we would have had hopefully a better shot on our goal." Officials were not made available to members of the media until roughly two hours after the game.

ESPN asked crew chief Fatou Cissoko-Stephens in the pool report why Stewart said she had been told the Liberty's reset timeout wasn't available.

"Stewart was standing behind referee Fahy when he confirmed with his partner between Reese's penalty free throws that New York did indeed have a reset timeout remaining," she said.

The controversy has prompted the Liberty to formally inquire with the league about the situation, ESPN reported, citing sources.

Asked whether he was unaware that the team had a reset timeout at their disposal, Liberty coach Chris DeMarco responded, "Yeah, same thing.