Looking ahead: What’s next for Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and the rest of the Lynx?

NEW YORK – In the immediate wake of their overtime loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday night in the deciding game of the WNBA Finals, the Lynx’s reaction was frustration and anger.

Coach Cheryl Reeve entered the post-game media conference ready to talk about what she perceived as an imbalance in calls between the two teams in general and with center Alanna Smith’s late foul call on Breanna Stewart — who clearly traveled before any possible foul occurred — that led to two free throws with five seconds left in regulation that forced overtime.

It was a bad call, Reeve asserted, which caused considerable reaction on social media, with high-profile NBA players LeBron James and Damian Lillard agreeing with the Lynx coach. The league’s review system needs to be changed, Reeve said.

The overtime period of the 67-62 loss was a disaster for the Lynx, who had five turnovers and missed all six of their shots from the floor.

“It’s a shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this,” Reeve said. “Obviously there’s always going to be a team that’s going to be a little more disappointed than the other.”

But there was also sadness. The Lynx opened the season under the WNBA radar. They used a roster built around the talents of star Napheesa Collier and a collective effort that showed how close the team became. The Lynx won 30 games, and were the hottest team in the league after the Olympic break.

Collier finished second in the MVP voting, was first-team All-WNBA, the league’s defensive player of the year. And yet Game Five marked the first time in her stellar career where she took more than 20 shots but wasn’t awarded a free throw.

Smith and wing Bridget Carleton had career years. Kayla McBride was one of the league’s best three-point shooters. Courtney Williams showed her value as a point guard, particularly in the pick and roll.

Reeve’s acquisition of Smith and Williams via free agency and her trade for Natisha Hiedeman flew under the radar. The team played outstanding defense, shared the ball on offense, and finished second in the regular season standings behind the Liberty.

“I’m incredibly proud that since the day we got together in training camp, all the way together, we were the same team,” Reeve said. “We never got the disease of ‘Me.’ Not one single player on the team got the disease of ‘Me.’

“Those who were in the rotation, fell out of the rotation, some that never got to play, no one ever put themselves first, no one. That is incredibly difficult to find in this day and age.”

In a league populated with so-called “super teams,” the Lynx won a different way.

“I wouldn’t trade them for anyone,” Reeve said. “Anyone, any team. Do things the right way, build the team within the rules – some things that maybe right now aren’t happening in our league.

“We did it the hard way. You know what? We gave hope to those teams that aren’t willing to circumvent the cap or fly illegally or all the stuff that’s happened over the last five years.”

All five Lynx starters — Collier, McBride, Smith, Williams and Carleton — are under contract for next season, as are Diamond Miller, Alissa Pili and Dorka Juhász.

Myisha Hines-Allen — acquired in a draft deadline deal — and Hiedeman are free agents.

The free agency season promises to be busy. The WNBA Players Association opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement because of the surge in interest and increased revenue in the league. That means a new CBA will kick in for the 2026 season with a much higher salary cap.

And that means a lot of the league’s free agents will be signing one-year deals, which promises the likelihood of significant roster shifts around the league.

But for now the Lynx have the opportunity to run it back with their current starters. After Sunday’s loss, that provided some comfort.

“We gave ourselves a chance to compete for a championship because we showed up every day and did it the right way,” McBride said. “And did it for each other. That’s really rare in this league. We care so much about each other and wanted it for each other. And that’s the beauty of it, and that’s also the heartbreak of it.”

But, possibly, motivation for next year?

“We know how hard it is to get to this point,” Smith said. “How hard it is to push through. A lot of times, it feels like it’s us against everybody.”