Full Breakdown
Liberty’s Overtime Reset Timeout Dispute
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
In Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals, the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 101-98 in overtime. With 4.3 seconds left in the extra period and trailing by three, the Liberty inbounded from under their own basket. They had a reset timeout—a rule-based chance to advance the ball to mid-court—but did not use it. Forward Breanna Stewart said officials told her the timeout was unavailable; league officials later contradicted that claim.
Background & Context
WNBA rules grant each team one reset in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and one reset in the last two minutes of any overtime period. The reset lets a team advance the ball without a bench huddle. The series is best-of-five; the Dream’s win gave them a 2-0 lead.
Data & Statistics
- Final score: Atlanta 101, New York 98.
- Breanna Stewart: 35 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists (11-of-20 shooting, 2-of-4 from three, 11-of-13 free throws).
- Stewart became the first player in WNBA playoff history with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a game.
- Liberty used two regular timeouts and a coach’s challenge in overtime, leaving the reset timeout unused.
- Series standing: Dream leads 2-0.
Official Statements & Responses
Crew chief Fatou Cissoko-Stephens said the scorer’s table tracks available timeouts and that the Liberty did have a reset remaining at the critical moment. She noted officials may confirm timeout status with the table but do not track it themselves. New York head coach Chris DeMarco echoed Stewart’s account, saying the team was told it had no reset. Atlanta coach Karl Smesko expressed surprise that the Liberty did not advance the ball, assuming a timeout remained.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The dispute centers on whether the Liberty possessed a reset timeout for the final inbound. Stewart and DeMarco reported referees said it was unavailable. Cissoko-Stephens, citing the pool report, confirmed the Liberty had a reset and that referee Kevin Fahy was told “no” after checking with the crew chief. The league’s pool report, released after the game, supports the crew chief’s version; no independent verification of the officials’ exact dialogue has been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This is not blaming the refs, but when I ask both refs if we have a reset timeout again, and they tell us no, and we leave the game with a reset timeout, it's pretty frustrating,” — Breanna Stewart
- “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,” — Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, crew chief
- “I thought they had a timeout left,” — Karl Smesko, Atlanta coach
- “Same thing, they said we didn’t have it…We gotta demand more but it is what it is,” — Chris DeMarco, New York coach
What’s Next
The Liberty’s next opportunity comes in Game 3, scheduled for October 9 at Barclays Center, where they will host the Dream and attempt to avoid elimination.