Cheryl Reeve spewed fire in the postgame press conference, and, from her vantage point, with ample reason. The Lynx lost for the second straight time, putting them on the brink of elimination in their semifinal round series against the Mercury. “It’s f—ing malpractice,” she contended, eviscerating the officiating crew for what she deemed a reckless abdication of responsibility. So “f—ing awful” were the Game Three arbiters that she called for a change in league leadership.
To be sure, Reeve’s rant was not merely the offshoot of an 84-76 setback to the Mercury. It was the culmination of a series of slights that she believed robbed the Lynx of any chance of victory. The game had been close for the most part, with her charges holding a narrow lead heading into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the offense stagnated anew even as the hosts surged behind All-Stars Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally. The latter, in particular, proved decisive, scoring 15 to spearhead a 20-9 run in the payoff period.
For Reeve, the collapse, while stark, might have been easier to accept had it been only about missed shots and execution. Instead, it was capped by an injury to Lynx stalwart Napheesa Collier due to contact with Thomas 23 seconds removed from the final buzzer. When no whistle followed, she stormed the court to confront an official, and then off it following her ejection. And, clearly, she was still seething as she met members of the media in the aftermath. She had warned about the unchecked physicality even before the series began, and the perceived assault on her best player was the last straw.
That the Lynx now need to claim the next two matches in order to advance to the finals no doubt weighed heavily on Reeve as she lashed out in her post-mortem. In forging the best record by far in the regular season, they were molded by resilience. Moving forward, the same determination will need to separate them from the Mercury. They cannot but move to keep their composure, rediscover their rhythm, and navigate the distractions resulting from their coach’s public indictment of the WNBA. Most importantly, they have to overcome their lingering distrust of the referees and, well, just play.
Needless to say, Reeve’s tirade will not fade quickly. Raw anger similar to hers is rarely about one play or one contest; it speaks to the integrity of the sport itself. Her demand for accountability goes beyond defending Collier or explaining away a poor fourth quarter. It insists that players be protected and that competition not be decided by what is overlooked. Whether the league responds beyond suspending her remains to be seen, but for the Lynx, the road ahead is unavoidably lined with obstacles. And more than the scoreboard, they have to look continually at the burden they have placed on themselves.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
