It was Game 4 of the WNBA Finals when Sandy Brondello didn’t hold back. In a postgame conference, she came out hot, blasting the officials for what she called “bl–dy fouls” against her Liberty squad. Not only that, but she even demanded fairness after a glaring 20–9 free-throw disparity against the Lynx. But fast forward to the 2025 campaign, when the calls started favouring her team and opponents found themselves on the receiving end of questionable officiating, Brondello stayed silent. Why? Well, triggered fans seem to have a better answer to that!
It all came to light when the New York Liberty took the court at Barclays Center to lock horns with the Golden State Valkyries in front of 14,951 fans. Coming in at 4–0, it was easy to predict Liberty would emerge victorious, especially since they had already defeated the Valkyries in their last matchup. But this time, GSV turned the tables and outperformed Liberty in nearly every major category.
From a better field goal percentage (40.3% to 37.7%) to grabbing more rebounds (41 to 36), the Valkyries were leading. Still, they lost the game by 77-82, and it supposedly wasn’t due to their performance but rather an officiating imbalance.
Consider this: the Valkyries were called for 24 fouls compared to New York’s 20. While that may seem like a small difference, it had a massive impact at the free throw line. Liberty attempted 27 free throws and made 23 of them, while Golden State got to the line just 14 times and converted only 9.
May 21, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15), forward Kayla Thornton (5), guard Veronica Burton (22) and center Temi Fagbenle (14) huddle during a game against the Washington Mystics in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
What made matters worse was Liberty’s star player turning out to be the primary beneficiary of the foul disparity. Breanna Stewart alone accounted for 19 of the team’s 27 attempts, converting 15 of them. Simply put, she had over half of Liberty’s total free throw attempts—and outscored the entire Valkyries squad at the stripe. This kind of individual free throw volume is usually reserved for players relentlessly attacking the paint, yet Stewie only took 12 shots from the field. That means she had as many free throws as field goal attempts, with her entire offensive output built at the line.
Of her game-high 27 points, 15 came from free throws—that’s 55% of her total. Not to mention, she went 6-for-12 from the field and made zero threes. On the other hand, Valkyries forward Temi Fagbenle, who played 20 minutes and operated in the paint, shot a solid 4-for-6 but didn’t take a trip to the free throw line. So, now, you can probably guess what fans had to say once they noticed the disparity.
Fans erupt over Liberty’s whistle privilege as it sparks deja vu controversy
As usual, fans didn’t hold back in the comment section. “Liberty robbed Valkyries shamelessly! Can’t win without the refs’ help haha,” penned one user. The Golden State had 15 offensive rebounds and outscored New York by 12 points in the paint, yet they drew significantly fewer foul calls. The spectators hence believe it was made all-too obvious.
“They not even trying to hide it lol. Valkyries would’ve won this game if the refs didn’t constantly shoot the Liberty bail. This Liberty team is getting cooked in the playoffs if the whistle is even!” added another user. While playoff is still a matter of future, based on today’s game, there’s no denying Liberty would have had a challenge if the whistle had been sounded less. Just consider Janelle Salaün, Golden State’s leading scorer, who had 18 points and a monster 13-rebound game, with just a single trip to the free throw line.
And yes, this isn’t the first time Stewie and company have been accused of getting favorable whistles. “Fever has the same record as the Valkyries. They almost took one from Liberty in NY if the refs weren’t glazing Stewie all game. They are well-coached,” added another user. Even in their last game versus the Indiana Fever, Stewie benefited from the calls. Despite an inefficient night—going 4-for-11 from the field and 0-for-4 from three—she still managed to score 16 points, largely due to an 8-for-10 mark at the free throw line.
“You need to speak up, Natalie, to the refs! Refs stole that game from your girls. Stewie flopped her way to 19 FTs—not to mention the other phantom calls,” wrote another user. The Valkyries played one of their better games today, letting Liberty’s lead only max out at 6 points. For a whole new team going against the defending champions with a starting lineup near-intact? That performance doesn’t come by easy. So spectators weren’t biting their tongue in defending the Golden State.
“To show how atrocious the officiating has been down the stretch, Stewie (19) has taken more free throws than the entire Golden State Valkyries team (14). One can almost assume the refs want New York Liberty to win. The WNBA has to do better,” added another user. All of that adds up, considering Liberty’s five wins have featured nearly 80% team free throw shooting. In fact, it’s not just about this year. The same story played out last year during the playoffs.
Remember Game 5? That was when Cheryl Reeve declared, “This sh-t was stolen from us,” after the Liberty had 23 free throws compared to the Lynx’s 8. Even then, the Lynx were equally efficient but lost a tough battle on deciding calls. A year has passed since then, but not much has changed.
The post “Robbed Valkyries”: WNBA Refs Under Fire after Insane FT Disparity Favors Breanna Stewart in NY Liberty Victory appeared first on EssentiallySports.