The league has been in a fiery mood, and much of that has been evident since Cheryl Reeve blasted the Minnesota Lynx defence after shortcomings against the Seattle Storm.
But not too late that the coveted coach caught a stray with the WNBA officiating during Minnesota’s crushing Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Her furious reaction came after Napheesa Collier’s brutal clash with Alyssa Thomas.
Cheryl Reeve Drops F-Bomb On Poor Officiating During Game 3 Loss
The top-seeded Lynx, now down 2-1 in the semifinals, struggled to close out another tight game after blowing a 20-point lead in Game 2. Collier, the 2025 MVP runner-up, went down in the final seconds after a no-call collision with Alyssa Thomas, prompting Reeve’s rage and ejection.
With Game 4 looming Sunday in Phoenix, the Lynx are fighting to keep their season alive, possibly without their best player. However, the Lynx’s Game 3 heartbreak flowed right into Reeve’s explosive postgame rant, where she didn’t hold back on the officiating that left Collier injured and her team on the ropes.
“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***ing malpractice,” Reeve said. “I can take an L with the best of ’em... don’t think we should’ve had to play through more than they did. I think it’s f***ing crap. And all of (the refs) tonight, ‘It wasn’t my call. I don’t know... didn’t have that. I didn’t see it though.’ F***ing awful.”
– “This is the look our league wants.. for some reason”
— Rachel A DeMita (@RADeMita) September 27, 2025
– Napheesa Collier “probably has a fracture”
– Calls for a change in leadership at the league level
– refs that were chosen for Semi-Finals Game 3 = “f’ing malpractice”
Cheryl Reeve 🫡pic.twitter.com/go9NUN5bFa
Her fury stemmed from a no-call when Thomas stole the ball from Collier, who crashed to the floor with a possible ankle fracture. With 21.8 seconds left, Thomas’s steal and layup sealed Phoenix’s win, but Collier’s fall to a knee contact and a rolled ankle sparked chaos.
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Cheryl Reeve Joins Coaches Criticising WNBA Officiating
While seeing her player going down in a crucial game, Reeve’s outburst wasn’t a solo act. The latest callout was part of a chorus of coaches fed up with WNBA officiating this season. However, Reeve earlier also called out WNBA All-Star selection.
Earlier, Chicago Sky’s Tyler Marsh nearly clashed with a ref in August over a missed call, restrained by security, and even Angel Reese. Indiana’s Stephanie White, while cautious to avoid fines, also suggested redirecting officiating penalties to improve the program.