Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has sounded off plenty of times in her 15-year WNBA coaching career.
But Friday’s Game 3 press conference following the Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Mercury marked one of her most memorable podium appearances yet.
Reeve, who was ejected with 24 seconds to play in the game, angrily called out the league’s officiating after Lynx star Napheesa Collier limped out of the game with an ankle injury.
“If this is what our league wants, okay. Then, I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating,” Reeve said. “It’s bad for the game.”
Reeve pointed out that Collier was called for five fouls despite not going to the line once, and said that backup center Maria Kliundokova was “getting cracked” on the boards with no fouls being called.
But the play Reeve was most upset by was the one that ultimately ended Collier’s night — and potentially, her postseason.
With 24 seconds to play, Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from Collier and finished a fast break layup on the other end to extend the Mercury’s lead to 6 points.
Collier crumbled to the floor in pain, her eyes almost immediately welling with tears. A replay showed she appeared to have sprained her ankle, as Thomas’s leg made direct contact with Collier’s after the deflection and caused an awkward fall.
Reeve immediately exploded, running up to the referees’ faces and yelling profanities. Multiple assistant coaches and players tried to hold her back, but with limited success.
Minutes after being ejected, Reeve didn’t take any questions at the postgame podium. Instead, she took the opportunity to criticize officials.
“When you let the physicality happen, people get hurt, they fight — and this is the look that our league wants, for some reason.”
Reeve especially criticized Friday night’s officials: “The officiating crew that we had tonight — for the leadership to deem those three people semi-finals playoff worthy, is fucking malpractice.”
“They’re fucking awful,” she added.
Reeve also shared that Collier likely has a fracture, though the Lynx have not shared an official update. The veteran coach also noted that similar complaints have arisen in the other WNBA semi-finals series between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces.
“You’re hearing other coaches, you’re hearing [Aces head coach] Becky [Hammon] talk about it,” Reeve said.
After Game 2 — an Aces win — Hammon called out officiating as well, noting: “This level of physicality would not fly in the NBA.”
The Lynx, fresh off a historic regular season, are now one loss away from elimination. Looming in the background is whether Collier will take the floor again this postseason.
