The Minnesota Lynx might have given the hope of winning the series against the Phoenix Mercury, not because of the loss in Game 3, but because of what happened during the matchup. Napheesa Collier is out of the next game following an ankle injury, and HC Cheryl Reeve will also miss the game following a suspension from the WNBA.
The league’s actions were very much expected, but they must address one issue that the Lynx HC and many other coaches regularly talk about.
Cheryl Reeve’s Suspension Re-Opens WNBA’s Major Flaw
The WNBA’s suspension confirmation post highlighted three significant reasons for the decision: first, her actions on the court, for which she received a technical foul; second, her extended stay on the floor, which showed disrespect for the official’s decision while making gestures towards the fans, and third, her criticism of the league’s officials.
Even though the NBA Referees’ Association gave their assessment in the official’s favor, many of the things that the Lynx HC mentioned in the postgame interview were spot on. Her essential point and reason for getting angry was ‘inconsistency in officiating’. Nearly every coach and executive around the WNBA has a similar complaint.
As per the rule book, there should be a balance of play and equal opportunity for the defense and offense, with safety and protection of players also in mind. The decision to prove the umpire’s call correct makes no sense.
“When you let the physicality happen, people get hurt, there’s fights, and this is the look that our league wants for some reason. We were trying to play through it. We try not to make excuses… And so if this is what our league wants, then OK, but I want to call for a change in leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. It’s bad for the game,” Reeves said in her criticism.
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“I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating.”
— ESPN (@espn) September 27, 2025
Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve responded to the officiating in Game 3 of the Lynx-Mercury WNBA Semifinal. pic.twitter.com/xuyfxmyqLa
Many other coaches had also talked about both issues – physicality in WNBA games and inconsistent foul calls. Fans also voiced their concerns over the same. If the league doesn’t act on it promptly, it might lose huge chunk of fan following which might never return back.
WNBA Analyst Shows Officiating Inconsistency That Cheryl Reeve Spoke About
While the topic quickly became talk of the town, WNBA Analyst Rachel DeMita also addressed the issue and blasted the league for inconsistency in ‘foul calls. DeMita highlighted a play during the Indiana Fever vs Las Vegas Aces Game 2 where Kelsey Mitchell got a foul for an elbow to A’ja Wilson.
“Do you remember when Kelsey Mitchell went up for a shot? She got fouled, and then after she elbowed A’ja and they called a foul on Kelsey Mitchell for contact after the whistle,” she said.
In case of the Fever guard’s offensive foul call, she already shot the ball, and as the defender fouled her, KM’s elbow hit Wilson. While Mitchell received a foul for that play, Alyssa Thomas got away with the ‘more physical’ play, which actually injured Napheesa Collier.