Cheryl was quite fired up! Seriously, it was something to see.
This season, the Minnesota Lynx really made a mark in the WNBA, dominating rankings. However, they find themselves in a tough spot now, trailing 2-1 in the semi-finals against the Phoenix Mercury.
And here’s the kicker—they’re going into this without their head coach. (Related: Chaos erupted during the Ryder Cup as players and fans clashed.)
During the final minutes of their Game 3 loss, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve went off about the referees and some missed calls. It was quite a scene, to put it mildly. There was a moment when Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas took the ball from Lynx guard Naphesa Collier, leading to Collier falling hard after a knee crash.
Reeve believed that collision should have been called a foul on Thomas. When it wasn’t, she lost it. And honestly, it was a wild display of frustration.
The Lynx coach was furious. I was ready to throw my hands. Imagine an NBA coach like this. elite. pic.twitter.com/lcvonzgbji
– Jack Mac (@jackmaccfb) September 27, 2025
It’s entertaining, for sure, but Reeve’s reaction seemed a bit unwarranted. There was no foul on that play. Thomas grabbed the ball cleanly without any contact. What followed had nothing to do with her.
An NBA referee even weighed in on Twitter, agreeing that there was no foul. It was clarified that Thomas had legally reached for the ball, causing a loose play which resulted in accidental contact.
This is not a foul. Thomas legally reaches the ball and loosens the ball before contact. If the ball is clearly loose, leg-to-leg contact can be accidental. This was correctly judged in real time as no call, similar to the subsequent technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/kdimdrwsne
– NBA referee (@officialnbarefs) September 27, 2025
But that didn’t stop Reeve from continuing her tirade against the officiating, asserting the need for a change in leadership within the league.
She stated, “As for the moderators, I would like to ask for a change in leadership at the league level; we are cheating.”
“As far as moderators are concerned, I would like to ask for leadership changes at the league level.”
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve responded to the officiating during Game 3 of the Lynx-Mercury WNBA semi-finals. pic.twitter.com/xuyfxmyqla
-espn (@espn) September 27, 2025
This situation eventually led to Reeve’s suspension for Game 4. It’s honestly a bit mind-boggling.
