After the Lynx’s loss to the Mercury in Match 3, head coach Cheryl Reeve expressed her frustration during a post-game press conference. Her anger was particularly directed at the injury suffered by Napheesa Collier late in the fourth quarter.
Collier was forced to leave the game after a collision with Mercury guard Alyssa Thomas, and Reeve speculated that the ankle injury might be a “fracture.”
“If this is what the league wants, that’s fine, but when it comes to hosting, I really think leadership at the league level should change,” Reeve stated after the Lynx fell 84-76. “The officiating crew tonight was a complete disaster for a semi-finals matchup.”
Currently, the top-seeded Lynx are 2-1 in the semi-final series but have not officially updated Collier’s status.
Following Thomas’s score after Collier’s injury, Reeve confronted one of the officials on the court, needing support from two assistant coaches and guard Natisha Heideman. On her way off the court, she shouted at the fans.
During her press conference, Reeve didn’t take questions but made it clear that she was furious Collier didn’t attempt any free throws.
“We were trying to avoid making excuses and push through, but she’s one of the league’s top players and ended the game with zero free throws and five fouls,” Reeve commented. “She pushed herself to finish.”
This isn’t the first time Reeve has criticized officials after a playoff loss.
In a previous WNBA Finals game against Freedom, she famously said, “This was stolen from us.” On this occasion, she remarked, “I can handle a loss against strong opponents, but this performance was unacceptable.”
Before exiting the press conference, she labeled the officiating as “bad.”
The Lynx are set to face elimination in Game 4 on Sunday.
