MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount following her ejection during Friday night’s 77-63 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA announced Monday. The suspension will cause Reeve to miss Game 4 of the semifinal series,scheduled for Sunday.
Reeve was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the third quarter. Following the game, Reeve sharply criticized the officiating crew of 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 (expletive) malpractice.”
The controversial play sparking Reeve’s ire involved Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas stealing the ball from Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, leading to a game-sealing layup.Collier sustained a left ankle injury on the play and was helped off the court; Reeve stated Collier “probably has a fracture.” Collier will miss Game 4.
The National Basketball Referees Association defended the no-call on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “This is NOT a foul. Thomas legally gets to the ball and knocks the ball loose prior to any contact. The leg to leg contact is incidental once the ball is clearly loose.”
Reeve’s outburst came amid broader concerns regarding WNBA officiating this season.Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon recently criticized the physicality allowed in playoff games, saying, “You can bump and grab a wide receiver in the NFL for those first 5 yards, but you can do it in the W for the whole half court.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed officiating concerns in July during All-Star Weekend, stating the league reviews every play and uses the feedback for official training, emphasizing the importance of “consistency.”
Additionally, Lynx guard Rebekkah Brunson and Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard were each fined for inappropriate conduct. Thibault was fined for an inappropriate interaction with an official on the court. Brunson was fined for an inappropriate social media comment directed at WNBA officials.