Cheryl Reeve calls for wnba, who will be hosting after Napheesa Collier’s injury
Cheryl Reeve didn’t hold back when he spoke about the officials at a post-match press conference after Napesa Collier left the match with injuries.
Sports Pulse
Phoenix – Physicality was a conversation topic throughout the 2025 WNBA playoffs. The debate boiled down on Friday after the chaos ending in Phoenix Mercury’s 84-76 Minnesota Lynx victory.
In the waning seconds of the semi-finals contest, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected, causing Lynx to be injured by Napheesa Collier. Minnesota, the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoff bracket, is on the verge of elimination and may not have the best player.
“The host crew we had tonight said in an explet-filled rumour after the match, as leadership would deem these three semi-final playoff worths as f—cheating,” he said.
Game 3 has 23.8 seconds left – It featured seven lead changes in the fourth quarter alone – Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas swipes the ball cleanly from Collier and gets a layup to raise the mercury to 84-76. After an accidental contact with Collier, Thomas was not called a foul. In his post-match remarks, Reeve revealed that Collier “probably has a fracture” as a result of the play.
An infuriated Reeve stormed the court and the referee before the ball could inbound, resulting in the second technical foul of the game. Despite being kicked out, Reeve continues to indict staff and, after being forced to be detained by staff and Natishaheeman of Links Guard, eventually heads the tunnel towards the locker room as a sold-out crowd at the PHX Arena. Lynx’s associate head coach Eric Thibault was also called for a technical foul.
Collier finished in a loss with 17 points and five fouls, held scoreless in the fourth quarter, with no second free throw attempts throughout the season. Collier did not return to the game after an ankle injury. (Collier previously missed seven regular season games with a right ankle injury.)
“One of the best players in the league got a zero free throw. Zero,” Reeve continued. “And she had five fouls. Zero free throw. She pulled out her shoulder and took out her leg to finish the game. She probably had a fracture.”
Reeve called for a “change in leadership at the league level when it comes to hosting.” She is not the first head coach to oppose contacts this postseason allowed. After Las Vegas’ ace game two won the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, ace head coach Becky Hamon said in the league that “physicality is out of control.”
“Most of my assistants come from the NBA and they say, ‘This won’t fly in the NBA,'” Hamon said. “This level of physicality doesn’t fly in the NBA. There’s a fight. We have a very well-managed woman.”
Reeve reflected these feelings and emphasized how “dangerous” physicality has become.
“You’ve heard that from other series,” Reeve said. “You’re listening to other coaches, Becky (Hamon) has his physicality in place, people get hurt, there’s a fight, and this is the look our league wants for some reason.”
“I can take an L with their best. I don’t think we need to play through it… f — awful.”
Reeve picked up his first technical foul in the second quarter with 5:26 left, and was left after a foul was not called by Thomas, who was physically painted along with Collier. Once Lynx’s possession ended with Shotkrock’s departure, Reeve placed a referee on the floor, screaming in frustration, mimicking Thomas’ hip movements.
Phoenix was asked for more fouls in Game 3 on Friday (15-14), but the Lynx finished the night with 11 free throw attempts compared to Mercury’s 22.
When asked about the hosting, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets said, “We’re not talking about hosting every playoff. We’re just playing. We’re worried about us.”
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