The Minnesota Lynx will fight to preserve their once promising championship aspirations when they battle the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of the WNBA Semifinals on Sunday night, but they will have to do so without their head coach present. Cheryl Reeve is suspended for the contest for her “comments and conduct during and following” Friday's 84-76 Game 3 loss, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou.
Reeve and assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson have also been fined. This move felt inevitable after the four-time champion and four-time WNBA Coach of the Year ripped the officiating crew to shreds while speaking to the media, going as far as to accuse the league of “malpractice” for assigning what she deemed to be an incompetent referee crew to a high-stakes matchup. Additionally, she called for a “change in leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating.”
Nevertheless, this is a huge development and potentially brutal setback for the already vulnerable Lynx. The WNBA issued an official statement announcing and explaining the decision to suspend Reeve for Game 4.
“Her conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner upon her ejection with 21.8 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, inappropriate comments made to fans when exiting the court, and remarks made in a post-game press conference,” the league said, via Philippou.
Cheryl Reeve erupted at end of Game 3
Reeve's frustration had been building throughout Game 3, but the moment that led to her ejection and subsequent tirade occurred when Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from Napheesa Collier with just over 25 seconds remaining. The Mercury centerpiece broke free for a layup after gaining possession from the two-time MVP runner-up, giving Phoenix an 82-76 lead. Thomas collided with Collier's knee after knocking the ball loose, but the official clearly did not deem the former to be responsible for the contact. No. 24 writhed in pain, and an irate Cheryl Reeve rushed onto the court to protest the no-call.
Natisha Hiedeman and members of the Lynx coaching staff held her back as she unleashed her wrath. Napheesa Collier was helped to her feet and limped off the court with an apparent ankle injury. Her status for Game 4 is currently unknown, but Reeve added to fans' distress with her initial feeling on the situation. The NBA Referees X account did not believe Thomas committed a foul on the play in question.
Collier did not attempt any free throws and was whistled for five fouls, leaving Reeve and fans in a state of disgust and dismay. Even if one mocks the concept of “superstar treatment,” that is obviously a jarring disparity for a forward who attempted 15 shots in 37 minutes of action.
Can the Lynx use this as motivation?
If neither the franchise keystone nor head coach are active participants in Sunday's showdown, the likelihood of Minnesota's campaign ending in bitter disappointment for a second straight year surely increases. When the Lynx narrowly lost to the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, Cheryl Reeve said the title was stolen from her squad courtesy of controversial officiating. Plenty of people echoed her sentiment.
Following Friday's fireworks, it appears the legendary coach has reached her breaking point. It will be difficult, but the Lynx must dial in and focus on the task at hand: leaving The Desert with a season-extending victory. Officiating aside, this team missed too many opportunities over the last two contests. Minnesota must harness all its anger and channel it into a win over a hungry Mercury team.
