Although the Phoenix Mercury shocked the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 of their WNBA Semifinals series on September 26 (winning 84-76), that is by no means the game’s main narrative.
Fans of women’s basketball have undoubtedly witnessed Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve‘s fury as the game came to a close. It happened on a crucial play late in the game in which Lynx star Napheesa Collier appeared to be fouled but was not called. Consequently, Phoenix made a layup that effectively sealed the victory.
By the time her team attempted to inbound the ball, Reeve was already on the floor, yelling at a referee. She seemed like she was about to strike the referee, and it finally took a few of her employees to hold her back. The game finished when Reeve was finally taken off the floor, which took some time, and his postgame tirade against the league and its referees went viral.
Tough look https://t.co/qXvvxG5OzY pic.twitter.com/Pe5ozoEtGi
— Dano Mataya (@drmataya) September 27, 2025
Speaking to the media following the game, a furious Reeve shouted a number of things, including: “I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. It’s bad for the game. The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy is f****** malpractice.”
The Phoenix fans would have had their money’s worth on Friday if Reeve’s crash out had been the only reason the Lynx vs. Mercury game had been thrilling, even though it was exciting from a basketball perspective.
