Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Suspended for game 4 Following Postgame Criticism of Officials
PHOENIX – Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has been suspended by the WNBA for Game 4 of the team’s semi-finals series against the Phoenix Mercury, scheduled to be played in Phoenix.The Lynx currently trail the best-of-five series 2-1. The suspension marks a historic moment, believed to be the first time a WNBA coach has been suspended for a playoff game.
The disciplinary action stems from Reeve’s strongly worded criticism of the officiating crew following the Lynx’s Game 3 loss on Friday. Reeve specifically targeted Isaac Barnett, randy Richardson and Jenna Reneau, stating, “The officiating crew that we had tonight – for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy – is fucking malpractice.”
The controversy centered on a play involving Alyssa Thomas of the Mercury stealing the ball from Napheesa Collier, resulting in a game-sealing layup.Collier sustained a leg injury during the play and was helped off the court; Reeve stated Collier ”problably has a fracture,” without providing further details.
The National Basketball Referees Association defended the officials’ decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating the play was legal, with thomas “legally gets to the ball and knocks the ball loose prior to any contact” and any leg-to-leg contact being “incidental once the ball is clearly loose.”
Along with Reeve’s suspension, Minnesota assistant coaches Eric thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were also fined.Thibault was penalized for an inappropriate interaction with an official, while Brunson was fined for an inappropriate social media comment directed at WNBA officials.
Reeve’s postgame comments included a call for league-level changes to officiating, referencing WNBA head of officiating Monty McCutchen and head of referee performance and development Sue Blauch.
The incident occurs amid broader concerns regarding WNBA officiating this season. Las vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon recently criticized the physicality allowed in playoff games, stating, “You put two hands on somebody, it should be an automatic foul. The freedom of movement? There’s no freedom.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed officiating concerns during All-Star Weekend in July, noting the league reviews every play and uses the feedback for official training, emphasizing the importance of “consistency.”
