Breanna Stewart Rejects WNBA Official Report on Liberty Timeout Dispute

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart has expressed deep disappointment following a WNBA pool report that contradicts her account of a critical officiating decision during the Liberty’s Game 2 loss to the Atlanta Dream. The dispute centers on whether officials properly informed the Liberty bench of an available reset timeout in the closing seconds of overtime on October 7, 2026.

The Liberty, currently trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five semifinal series, filed an official inquiry with the WNBA league office to investigate the communication breakdown. Stewart stated that the league’s official account of the incident directly challenges her personal integrity, as it suggests she was within earshot of a confirmation that she and her coaches claim never happened.

Conflicting Accounts of the Reset Timeout

The controversy stems from the final moments of Atlanta’s 101-98 overtime victory. Under WNBA rules, teams are permitted a “reset timeout” in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime, allowing them to advance the ball to midcourt after a made basket or a dead ball. Stewart and Liberty assistant coach Chris DeMarco maintain that they specifically asked officials if a reset was available and were told the team had none remaining.

However, the WNBA pool report issued after the game presented a different narrative. The report stated that Crew Chief Fatou Cissoko-Stephens and referee Kevin Fahy confirmed the timeout’s availability. Most notably, the report claimed that Breanna Stewart was standing directly behind Fahy when this confirmation was purportedly given.

Stewart contested this version of events, stating that the report questioned her integrity. “To have the pool report come out and say that I was standing right there and I heard them say we have a timeout, it’s just not true,” Stewart said, emphasizing her frustration with the implication that she or the coaching staff simply ignored the information.

The dispute centers on a timeout request during the final seconds of overtime.

Corroboration and Team Response

The Liberty’s account was further supported by guard Sabrina Ionescu, who reported receiving similarly conflicting information from the crew during the high-pressure sequence. Ionescu corroborated Stewart’s claim, stating she also queried the officials regarding the reset timeout and was led to believe the team was out of options to advance the ball.

The communication error, if proven, represents a significant tactical disadvantage. Without the ability to advance the ball via a reset timeout, the Liberty were forced to play from the backcourt, limiting their ability to set up a clean final shot to tie or win the game. The Liberty organization’s inquiry seeks to clarify why the official scorers’ table and the officiating crew were not in sync with the coaching staff’s understanding of the remaining timeouts.

The league has not yet announced any procedural or disciplinary consequences for the officiating crew involved. As the investigation continues, the Liberty face an elimination game on October 9, 2026. The team must now shift focus back to the court to avoid a sweep by the Dream, who are one win away from advancing to the WNBA Finals.

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