Brief

Breanna Stewart blames refs for unused timeout in Liberty’s overtime loss

Stewart said referees told New York it had no reset timeout, a claim ref Fatou Cissoko‑Stephens disputes.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:10:22 GMT

New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said officials told her the team did not have a reset timeout in the final seconds of the WNBA semifinal overtime loss to the Atlanta Dream, 101‑98, on Oct. 8.

Stewart told a post‑game press conference that the Liberty chose not to use a timeout, believing none remained, and was forced to inbound from under the Dream’s basket. Referee Fatou Cissoko‑Stephens later said the Liberty did have a reset timeout available, contradicting Stewart’s account. The Liberty have lodged a formal inquiry with the league, and the series moves to Game 3 in New York.

Key facts

• Breanna Stewart said officials told her the Liberty had no reset timeout in the overtime loss. (bleacherreport.com)
• Referee Fatou Cissoko‑Stephens said the Liberty did have a reset timeout. (bleacherreport.com)
• The Atlanta Dream won Game 2 of the semifinals 101‑98 in overtime. (bleacherreport.com)

Where accounts differ

• Whether New York had a reset timeout remaining: Stewart said officials told her none existed (bleacherreport.com); Cissoko‑Stephens said a reset timeout was available (bleacherreport.com)

Sources

• [1] bleacherreport.com — originally reported as “Liberty's Breanna Stewart Calls Out Refs After Unused Timeout in Loss to Dream, 'Pretty Frustrating'”