Reusse: A foul settles a rugged WNBA Finals Game 4, and the analysis leads to this: Let’s go to Brooklyn

The fourth game of the WNBA Finals had been over for more than a half-hour. Sandy Brondello, the coach for the New York Liberty, had made a quick trip to the postgame interview room.

She could not resist the urge to express dismay over the decision of the officials, or perhaps the WNBA, to let ‘em play in a manner that was rather stunning. For instance: Through three quarters, the hometown Lynx had been called for six fouls and the Liberty for 12.

Considering that defense has been the calling card for the Lynx during their surprise run in the regular season and then the playoffs, the teams being allowed to hound and pound was not an issue for coach Cheryl Reeve’s team.

Brondello no doubt was miffed that with so few fouls called three were called against her No. 1 star, Breanna Stewart, in the first half, and No. 4 sent her to the bench for a time with 3:15 left in the third quarter.

There were long stretches when it did appear the referee crew of Isaac Barnett, Eric Brewton and Tiara Cruse had come from working in the octagon for mixed martial arts.

And yet when the game was tied 80-80, the Lynx had a late possession, the relentless point guard Courtney Williams had the basketball and went for a straightaway jumper from behind the free-throw line.

It caromed off, and there was a cluster of bodies, and suddenly the sound of a whistle. Traveling, kicking, gouging, a headlock … what could it be to induce this crew to make a call now that the game seemed on the way to overtime?

Wowza. Bridget Carleton, on a rebound and attempted put-back, was being sent to the line for two free throws. She made the first, rendering the second pressure-free and easy. The Liberty threw a wild shot off an inbounds pass and that was it:

Lynx 82, Liberty 80.

There will be a Game 5 to decide it in Brooklyn, with the Liberty having avoided a championship in five previous trips to the Finals. MIn the meantime, the Lynx and Reeve are attempting to win a fifth and break a tie for the most titles with the defunct Houston Comets.

There was a wait for an anxious media to talk with Carleton, who didn’t make the cut for the large postgame interview room. Finally, Carleton arrived down the hall from the Lynx’s locker room and was asked a directed question:

“Considering the way this game had been officiated, were you surprised to hear that whistle with two seconds remaining?”

Carleton laughed slightly and said: “Yeah, it was a tough game … but not surprised. I was fouled pretty convincingly.”

There was the usual pregame screaming from the in-arena announcer and the crowd-stirring tandem on court. The theme being bellowed often was this game was: “Win or go home for the Lynx.”

This made no sense, of course, since the object was to win and go to Brooklyn for a Sunday night decider, win and then come back for a parade.

A rugged, remarkable series now goes to Game 5 in Brooklyn on Sunday night — great excitement for the WNBA, and with Caitlin Clark, for all those fans she packed in this summer, not required.

The Lynx received splendid first-half efforts from star Napheesa Collier, relentless Williams and a fired-up Kayla McBride to take a 46-45 lead into the locker room. Williams was 6-for-10 for 13 points and you keep wondering how it was that Reeve knew that getting Williams as a point guard could change everything for her team this season.

And, yet, the most intriguing part of the first half was the number the Lynx did on Stewart, the superstar who had 30 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in Wednesday’s victory in Game 3.

Stewart finished 5-for-21, no threes, and only 11 points. Collier’s numbers weren’t much, either. She scored only two points in the second half, finishing with 14 points, but took only 10 shots, half as many as Stewart fired up while banging rims all night.

The postgame message was much better than earlier: Win and go to Brooklyn.