Minnesota Lynx advance to WNBA Finals after extremely controversial call

The Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury have had countless classic playoff games over the last few years, but they’ve never had one end quite like this. Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals this afternoon was a classic, as Maya Moore dropped 40 points in a back-and-forth affair that went down to the final seconds.

After a missed shot by Moore with less than 10 seconds left, the Mercury were taking the ball out of bounds on their half of the court. Understandably, they tried to get the ball into Brittney Griner. But Moore had other ideas, leaping up and deflecting Noelle Quinn’s entry pass before snatching it out of the air.

That’s when the controversy happened. As Moore gained control of the ball in traffic, the referees blew the whistle for a foul on Phoenix, sending Moore to the free throw line with less than two seconds to go.

Now there were plenty of chances for both teams, and the Lynx still may have won in overtime, but it’s a shame to see such a brilliant game end in that fashion. There was a little bit of contact, sure, but certainly nothing that seems to warrant a foul–especially in that situation.