The WNBA suspended Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve Saturday, one day after her unprecedented outburst during the final 30 seconds of the team's Game 3 Semifinals match against the Phoenix Mercury. As unfortunate as this is for the Lynx, this is the right call to make.
According to a press release issued by the league, Reeve will miss one game due to "her conduct and comments during and following the Lynx’s 84-76 loss to the Mercury at PHX Arena in Phoenix on Friday."
"Her conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner upon her ejection with 21.8 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, inappropriate comments made to fans when exiting the court, and remarks made in a post-game press conference," the statement continued.
Reeve and the Lynx's assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson have also been fined for their actions on the court. (Thibault for his interaction with a referee and Brunson for comments she made on social media.)
What did Cheryl Reeve do?
Reeve lost her cool after Napheesa Collier was injured during the final 30 seconds of the team's game against the Mercury Friday night. Collier was dribbling the ball when the Mercury's Alyssa Thomas moved in for a steal — a move that has been largely declared clean — and Collier rolled her foot. She immediately fell to the floor in pain and was later seen on a mobile scooter after the game's end.
Reeve refused to take questions from reporters following the game and used the press conference to blast the game's officiating. She said in part, "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 semi-finals playoff worthy is f***ing malpractice."
The Minnesota Lynx face a tough battle Sunday
The Lynx will meet the Mercury in Phoenix on Sunday for the fourth game in their series — and this time they will do so without Reeve and Collier. That's a steep hill for the team to climb, especially since Game 3 wasn't going their way well before the moment between Collier and Thomas took place.
The game's score was 80-76 in favor of the Mercury when Thomas snagged the ball with 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter — a point from which the Lynx could have tied the match or come back from behind, maybe, but Minnesota didn't play their best basketball Friday night either way.
How will Cheryl Reeve's suspension impact the WNBA?
There's no clear indication that the suspension will have an impact on the league as a whole, though it's entirely possible. This season has been plagued by repeat accusations of poor officiating from coaches and athletes alike, and Reeve's reaction is simply the strongest in a series that's also included Tyler Marsh nearly punching a referee out of frustration.
The suspension sends a strong signal that the WNBA will not tolerate what it deems to be outrageous, inappropriate, or aggressive behavior, no matter who it is from — and it could keep other coaches from having the same reactions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. While Reeve's reaction is certainly understandable, it's not appropriate, and it's not the kind of conduct that can be encouraged throughout the league going forward.