Reeve suspended for Game 4 of WNBA semi-final

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Australian Alanna Smith's Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been suspended for Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Semi-Finals against the Phoenix Mercury tomorrow.

Reeve hammered the referees and the league for the physicality being allowed and the standard of officiating after losing Game 3 84-76 in Phoenix yesterday.

The Mercury lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 in Phoenix on Monday, September 29 (AEST) and its unclear if Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier will play. She rolled her ankle on the last play of the game, which led to the heated ejection of Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve, who absolutely teed off in an expletive-laden post game press conference about the physicality in the playoffs.

The WNBA released this statement today: "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."

This is what the WNBA suspended Reeve for.

"We talked about how dangerous it can be," Reeve said at the post game press conference.

"You’re hearing it from the other series, you’re hearing other coaches, you’re hearing (Las Vegas Aces head coach) Becky (Hammon) talk about it — when you let the physicality happen, people get hurt. There are fights.

"And this is the look our league wants, for some reason. We were trying to play through it, trying to make excuses. One of the best players in the league shot zero free throws — zero — and she had five fouls. Zero free throws. She got her shoulder pulled out, finished the game with her leg being taken out, and probably has a fracture.

"So this is the league. This is what our league wants. Okay.

"But I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating.

"It’s bad for the game. For the leadership to deem that officiating crew playoff-worthy —semi-finals-worthy — is [expletive] malpractice.

"I can take an L with the best of them. I don’t think we should have to play through more than what they did.

"We’ve got players getting [expletive] cracked, and there’s no call. And all of a sudden, “It wasn’t my call. I didn’t see it that way.”

"They’re [expletive] awful."

Whitcomb finished with four points, one rebound and four assists in 24 minutes while co-Defensive Player of the Year Australian Alanna Smith played just 12 minutes, was 0-from-4 from the field, 0-from-3 from three, grabbed one rebound and dished out one assist. She was -8 in her minutes.

Whitcomb was +6.

Key Details

• Result: Phoenix Mercury 84 def. Minnesota Lynx 76
• When: September 26, 2025
• Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
• Series: 2-1 (Mercury)

By the Numbers

• Satou Sabally (Phoenix) starred with 23 points, four rebounds in 30 minutes.
• Natisha Hiedeman (Minnesota) scored 19 points, and had two rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 23 minutes.

What Happened

Phoenix overcame a slow start to secure a crucial win in Game 3 of their semifinal series against Minnesota. After trailing 22-19 in the first quarter, the Mercury found their rhythm in the second, outscoring the Lynx 29-22 to take a 48-44 halftime lead. Minnesota responded with a strong third quarter, winning it 23-15 to retake a 67-63 advantage heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter belonged entirely to Phoenix, who showcased their championship mettle with a dominant 21-9 run to close out the game. Minnesota's offense completely stalled in the crucial final minutes, managing just nine points in the entire fourth quarter as Phoenix's defense locked in when it mattered most.

Alyssa Thomas delivered a near triple-double performance for Phoenix with 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while adding a game-high five steals and two blocks. Her defensive presence was felt throughout, disrupting Minnesota's offensive flow in crucial moments. Kahleah Copper matched Thomas with 21 points on efficient 9-from-13 shooting.

The Mercury's superior efficiency proved decisive as they shot 46.2 percent from the field compared to Minnesota's 42.3 percent. Phoenix also dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Lynx 37-29, with Thomas and DeWanna Bonner combining for 17 rebounds. The Mercury also got to the free-throw line significantly more often, attempting 22 free throws to Minnesota's 11.

Despite the loss, Natisha Hiedeman provided a spark off the bench for Minnesota with 19 points, while Napheesa Collier contributed 17 points, six rebounds, and three blocks before fouling out. Courtney Williams added 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists, but the Lynx struggled to maintain offensive consistency, particularly in the decisive fourth quarter.