The WNBA reportedly dished out a number of fines stemming from Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve’s reaction to a non-foul call during her team’s Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals.
Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic reported Reeve was fined $15,000 in addition to her Game 4 suspension. What’s more, Lynx assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were each fined $500.
The fines weren’t limited to Minnesota, as Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White were also fined $1,000 each for comments they made in support of Reeve.
“I think that she made a lot of valid points,” White said Sunday. “A lot of the same kind of conversations are happening. It’s happening from every team, from every franchise, from every coach, from every player. And I think at some point there has to be some accountability.
“Every part of our league has gotten better, and that part has lagged behind, for whatever reason.”
Hammon said, “From what I heard, (Reeve) did not tell a lie. She said the truth.”
The entire situation started in the final minute of Game 3 between Minnesota and Phoenix. Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from Napheesa Collier and took it the other way for a layup on a play that included some contact, an injury to Collier and no foul call.
Reeve came storming onto the court, yelled at the officials, had to be held back, was ejected and “appeared to direct profanity at the Phoenix crowd on her way out,” per Merchant.
Then she turned heads even more during her postgame comments.
“If this is what the league wants, OK, but I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating,” Reeve told reporters. “The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinal-playoff worthy, it’s f—ing malpractice.”
With Collier sidelined for Game 4 and their head coach suspended, the Lynx lost 86-81. The defeat brought their season to an end despite finishing with the best record in the league.
That meant they failed to return to the WNBA Finals after losing to the New York Liberty last year in a series that was also partially overshadowed by officiating controversy.
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