Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve’s Frustration After Game 3

Cheryl Reeve, the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, has made quite an impact during her 15 years in the WNBA. However, her press conference following the Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Mercury on Friday stands out as particularly memorable.

In just 24 seconds of play, an ankle injury forced Lynx star Napheesa Collier to leave the game. Reeve expressed her displeasure, stating, “If this is what our league wants, then it’s fine. And then I want to see a change in leadership at the league level when it comes to hosting. It’s bad for the game.”

Reeve highlighted how Collier was called for five fouls without even going to the free-throw line. Backup center Maria Kuriandkova noted that a foul was marked ‘broken’ on the scoreboard without being called during the game.

Unfortunately, it was Reeve’s actions that potentially ended Collier’s night—and possibly her postseason. During a fast break, Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas intercepted the ball from Collier and scored, which put Mercury ahead by six points. Collier then collapsed to the floor, visibly in pain, as tears streamed down her face. A replay showed that Thomas’s leg collided with Collier during the play, likely causing her ankle injury.

In a moment of frustration, Reeve rushed toward the referees, expressing her anger loudly, while assistants and players struggled to calm her down.

After being ejected, Reeve didn’t shy away from addressing the media, instead seizing the moment to voice her criticisms of the officials. “When you get physical, people get hurt, and this is the look our league wants,” she remarked. Her comments grew increasingly pointed: “We’re cheating to see the host crew we had tonight – leadership deserving these three people’s playoffs. They’re terrible.”

Reeve also mentioned that Collier might have a fracture, though the Lynx have not confirmed any official updates. She drew comparisons, noting that similar grievances had been expressed in other WNBA semifinal series involving the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces.

Referring to Aces head coach Becky Hammon, Reeve said, “You’re listening to other coaches… they also see the issue.” After the Aces’ victory in Game 2, Hammon had similarly pointed out that the level of physicality in the league was not acceptable.

With only one loss separating the Lynx from elimination, there’s a overshadowing concern about whether Collier will be able to play again this postseason.