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No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
Emergency Pod: Is Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve’s Suspension Justified?
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A
Hello everyone and welcome to no Off Season An Emergency episode presented by Amazon Business. I'm Zena Keda.
- [01:44]
D
I'm Sabrina Merchant.
- [01:45]
E
And I'm Ben Pickman.
- [01:47]
A
And today on the show we have to have an emergency pod. Don't know if you guys were watching Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals, but if you were, your mouth is probably still dropped to the ground after seeing some of the post game comments by head coach of the Minnesota Links, Cheryl Reeve. And she has officially been suspended not only for those comments, but for conduct throughout the rest of that game. We're going to get into all of it, so first and foremost let's where did this all start? That's where we've got to. We got to lay this out. We got to make sure we know what happened. We got to talk about this punishment. We're going to talk about if it was worth it, if it was warranted and what does this mean for the Lynx going in to Game four? So very quickly, Ben, you just put up a newser that is live on the site explaining what happened. Can you break it down? What is the suspension about and what happened?
- [02:44]
E
Sure. I mean the incident here in question stemmed from about 30 seconds remaining in regulation of Game 3 between the Minnesota Lynx and The Phoenix Mercury and Alyssa Thomas. The Phoenix Mercury star steals the ball from Nafisa Collier near mid court with just under 30 seconds remaining. And Thomas goes coast to coast to coast gives Phoenix a six point lead. And at the same time, on the other end of the floor, there's Nafisa Collier on the floor, slapping her hand on the court in pain as she appears to suffer an ankle injury. And so with 21.8 seconds left, as Collier is starting to get up and needing some medical assistance again, getting up and heading to the locker room, Cheryl Reeve begins to pace after one of the game's three officials. She then picks up a second technical foul. She had already been assessed a technical foul in the second quarter. So with the second technical she is ejected. She seems to get in the face of an official, she needs to be held back by multiple people on the Minnesota Links. And then she makes her way towards the locker room. And as she does, she also then appears to vo voice some profanity at some fans heading to the locker room, I guess towards the tunnel before walking off the court. And then after the game is final, after the 8476 loss to the Links or that the Links lose and Phoenix goes up to one in the series, Charl Reef sits down at the post game podium and she gives a tight two minutes comedy style, like a comedian, not anything more, not anything less. And she just goes in to the officials. She uses three F bombs over the course for comments and she is very animated about the physicality of the game and basically calls for for a change at the leadership level when it comes to WNBA officiating. And she says that the crew that was officiating the game was not semifinal playoff worthy and that them being put on the game was effing malpractice. So that is kind of the incident in question here that eventually leads to the suspension the WNBA hands down.
- [04:43]
A
Now, what's crazy is that my mouth did not drop at the F bombs because the F bombs were not immediate in this rant my mouth dropped at because the very first few words out of her mouth was this is what the league wants, Sabrina. I mean, these are some really big words to say about the league and her calling for a change at the league level to the head of officiating. And we know we've been hearing multiple coaches, especially in the midst of this playoff time, talk about the officiating being a problem. And Ben, you've written on it, many folks have written on it and talked about it, but that's what made my Mouth drop. Now, before we even get into how this punishment, her being suspended, will impact the links, thinking about what she said, thinking about how she reacted out on the court, I gotta ask, Sabrina, I'm start with you. Was this warranted for her to be suspended a game? Yeah.
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D
So I was kind of surprised by the suspension only because Cheryl Reeve had a very famous press conference after game five of the WNBA finals in 2024 where she basically accused the referees of cheating her team out of a win. And to me, questioning the league's integrity is worse than, you know, yelling three F bombs and saying that the league is too physical. So for her to not even have been fined last year, now we graduate to suspension. I thought challenging the league's integrity, saying that the game was stolen was worse than saying that, like, these officials weren't ready to officiate a WNBA semifinals game. But maybe it's like a, you know, accumulation of offenses against the league that all totaled in this suspension. But yeah, let's say that, you know, this is not the first time Sheryl Reeve has expressed displeasure with WNBA officials. It is certainly not the last time she is going to express displeasure with WNBA officials. She's not the only one who has said that the league has been too physical over the course of this post season. Becky Hammond has notably been very demonstrative in that particular lane where she called the Indiana Atlanta series a football match. She said that, you know, in the NFL you're allowed to bump a receiver for the first five yards, but in the WNBA you can do it for the entire 94ft. She said, like the type of things that you're allowed to do on the basketball court. If she were to do that on the street, like, it'd be considered assault and she'd be arrested. So, like, this is a common theme that has emerged, especially with Becky and Cheryl Rhee. I will say it has not happened throughout all the other series in the playoffs. Like, we sort of avoided this during what was that New York Phoenix series in the first round. It wasn't really a topic of conversation after the first game when we can remember that there were only 10 free throws with Minnesota Phoenix in that first game in the semifinals. So, yeah, I think inconsistency in officiating is always going to be a topic of conversation. But the fact that Cheryl thinks that the WNBA has a problem at the top, you know, that it needs an entire reset of how the game is going to be officiated, I think is pretty interesting.
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A
Honestly, I don't know. I interpret it A little differently in terms of her game 5 comments and her saying that the game was essentially stolen or her alluding to the game being stolen. I think she might actually use that word, though.
- [07:54]
E
She did use stolen.
- [07:54]
A
She did use stolen. Right. But I actually, I interpreted this comment as way worse because after game five, it's basically saying like, that was a bad call that caused my team to lose a championship. And yes, you are questioning the league's integrity, but now saying in this circumstance, this is what the league wants and a player is potentially injured. We do not have an update on Afisa Collier's ankle or leg injury. Lower leg injury. Sheryl Reeve did allude to the fact that she being Afisa Collier, may have a fracture. She also alluded to the fact that her shoulder was pulled out throughout the game. I'm not sure where that might have happened, but she's alluded to injuries. Now for you to say, like, oh, this was bad officiating that caused us to lose a game versus saying the league wants players to get hurt, to me is way worse. Like, I feel like that was a lower dig than anything said after game five.
- [08:52]
E
Yeah, I mean, she also calls basically for the job of two people, right? In saying that you want to change, you know, the top of league level officiating, you are calling for the jobs of Sue Blau, who is the head of WNBA referee in performance and development and she herself is a former ref of 20 seasons. And also Moni McCutcheon who is the NBA's SVP and have head of referee development who also is a former NBA ref of 20 years. Like in Cheryl's comments on Friday night, that is basically what she's doing. She's not naming the two people that I just mentioned, but she is saying there needs to be structural changes at the top and it begins with the personnel at the top. And so, yeah, I mean, that is certainly a really strong statement by Cheryl Reeve. I mean, where I come down a little bit on this too is, yeah, she wasn't punished after game five when she had those strong comments about the finals being stolen. But if not now, if you don't public punish Cheryl Reeve for what she said after game three, then when are you ever going to actually suspend a coach for their conduct? Because we should say very clearly that in the league statement they make clear that Charlie did not get suspended because of her comments. They make clear that she did not get suspended because she, you know, did not exit the court in a timely manner and was aggressive or pursued was the word that they Used in official. And they made clear that she did not get suspended because of the inappropriate comments she made when exiting the court. She got suspended because of all three of those things. It was the combination, the group of them. And so in my mind, you know, no matter if you think Sheryl Reeves comments were warranted or not, in terms of criticizing the actual officiating, the gameplay, the physicality, she did three things post game per the league. And it's the combination of them basically leaves them with no other choice. Because if you don't suspend her, then like, like, what incident would trigger a suspension? And yes, the timing is super unfortunate, but would it have been adequate? Would people have felt satisfied had they suspended her for the first game of next season? Like, that's a slap on the wrist. That's basically saying, we know you screwed up, we know you did something wrong. But like, you know, we don't have the gumption to apply the suspension to stakes or like, stakes matter when applying a suspension. And I don't think that's how that rule should be handed down either. So that's kind of where I come down with, you know, the punishment that was assessed to Cheryl Reeve on Saturday evening.
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A
I think what you're alluding to, Ben, does fit really nicely with what Sabrina is saying about the accumulation. Right? Like, this is California three strikes rule a little bit. Sheryl Reeve has just been getting knocks on her record in public. But I want to ask Sabrina because I feel as if, you know, we can't help but look at comparison sometimes with the brother league. You know, Gregg Popovich has this stance where he can come to a post game press conference, a pregame press conference, a media press conference in his years coaching, and he could come to the podium and call out some things that no one else felt comfortable calling out. No one else felt, you know, I'm gonna use the word Ben used the gumption to be able to say these things and call them out. And it almost feels as if, like, did Sheryl Reeve need to say this to this degree or react in the way that she did to finally bring attention to what seems to have been a problem in the WNBA and continues to be a problem in the wnba? Like, do we think that this performance out of Sheryl Reeve, this reaction out of Sheryl Reeve, might actually get the WNBA to really examine and maybe in that way it was necessary for her to have this type of reaction?
- [12:42]
D
I guess where you land on that is whether you consider this a problem with WNBA officiating. Like, I think about what happened in the NBA last season, where mid season there was this shift of letting more contact go and loosening the way the game was called and limiting the number of fouls that were called per team. And honestly, there was like a big chorus of approval for that. Maybe teams weren't super happy that it happened mid season and that they weren't alerted to the change, but there was a lot of general approval of the product when there was a little bit more physicality, a little bit more contact allowed, like not so many fouls called, not so many stoppages. And I think the WNBA historically has been a more physical league than the NBA and there has been an allowable of more physicality, more, you know, things that could be called fouls but are let go if they don't rise to a certain level. So, you know, I think that's, that's part of how the game has always been played. I don't necessarily think it's been a problem. I don't think it necessarily, like, discourages the safety of its players. So I can see why Cheryl was so upset in this particular instance because she felt like her best player in a FISA Collier wasn't protected by the referees. And yeah, that is a situation that would provoke you to act in a, you know, a manner that warrants a suspension. Right. But I don't watch the WNBA on a regular basis and think, oh, this is bad. People are going to get injured because of the way these games are getting called. And just because Cheryl Reeve feels that way, I don't necessarily think that, like, everybody in the league also feels that way.
- [14:05]
E
But what is unfortunate too, I think here, building off that, Sabrina, is that Char Reeve, I think her comments about the style of play or, you know, the physicality, the lack of freedom of movement in the wnba. I think a lot of people, both publicly and privately, you know, have voiced their displeasure with those rules and how those rules are uninforced. What is unfortunate about this situation is like, she can be right. You know, you can certainly argue that she is right and her feelings about the officiating are warranted, even if, you know, they might be extreme. But you can argue certainly that, like, she is fair to criticize the freedom of movement rules and what is and is not called and the physicality. And at the same time, I think you can reasonably say that she should be suspended for all of what she did. I mean, like, she appeared to use profanity at fans walking off the court like that Seems pretty inappropriate, frankly, for a coach and a general manager. Someone in a leadership position to do, no matter the circumstance, you know, the context that led them to feeling that the way that they feel like if all she was doing was voicing what she voiced post game or all that she was doing was, you know, having the reaction on court that she had then I think, you know, the question of a one game suspension, I don't think she would have been suspended. But like to me, I go back to. It seems like this is the accumulation, the culmination of all three. And it's like you just open, you set this precedent about, you know, I don't want to use the word like lawful and lawlessness, but that dynamic comes into play about like what actually is going to warrant a substantive suspension, if not a moment like that. And that is what I keep coming back to after hearing the WNBA's decision. And that is independent of whether you think the argument she makes about officiating is correct or not.
- [16:06]
D
Yeah, I don't think any of us are challenging the fact that there was a suspension, you know, like, that this deserved a suspension. I think what Cheryl was saying is going to last a lot longer than her suspension in game four. Like people are going to contend with the fact like, did the WNBA do a disservice to Nafeesa Khali or did they not adequately protect their players? Is there actually a systemic problem at the top of the league? And that's where I'm not sure I agree with Cheryl.
- [16:29]
A
So I feel like I land where I agree with what Ben is saying. It was like the message is right, the messenger wasn't right or the way in which the message was sent wasn't. But now there's an opportunity to flip it on its head in the way that the WNBA can send a message right in. Okay, whether or not you agree with Sheryl Reeve in there's a problem with physicality to the level that it's getting out of control to the fact that people are getting hurt. Whether or not you agree with that, you definitely cannot allow it to be communicated this way. It cannot be exacted upon these, these referees and these fans just because you're upset about, you know, whatever's happening with your particular, etc. And if you don't suspend her, it could allow for other coaches to replicate. Because let's just be real. Cheryl Reeve is, is someone that is looked at as one of the more veteran coaches in this league. She is one of the more veterans.
- [17:30]
E
She is the most veteran, we should say she is the longest tenured coach by far.
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D
She has more tenure than basically every other coach combined currently. Now that Sandi Brondella has been relieved of her job.
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A
Yeah, she is the most veteran, she is the most tenured. She is. And she's also very venerated. Right. She is a coach that has a lot of respect from people around the organization. So if you don't suspend someone like her and for these comments and the wnba, if they hadn't suspended her, what does that mean or what could that have meant for how they're going to let this play out for the rest of these finals or these playoffs or in general?
- [18:08]
E
Yeah, I mean, I think that is the big thing. Right. It just opens the Pandora's box about what then constitute a suspension. But I think going forward then, you know, to your point, Sabrina, you know, they do these competition committees in the off season and I am sure, I mean officiating, Sabrina, and I know from talking to executives who are in these meetings, officiating comes up at all these meetings and seemingly not enough, they would say people in the meetings, not enough substantive progress is ever, you know, changed year over year. On the topic of officiating, we have heard for years now, you know, coaches talk about inconsistency in officiating, freedom of movement. They do it publicly, they do it privately. I mean, we, you know, since this incident on Friday, I've talked to, you know, a number of people around the league who have said that they in large part agree with Cheryl's sentiment or a lot of what she is saying. I think what is now going to be so interesting going forward is does an incident like this, a moment like this catalyze real change, real reflection? Because I think so many people within the WNBA on the team side would say that, look, the, the, the referees, the officiating says that, you know, things are up to a very good standard, a very high standard, and coaches continue to say how could that possibly be the case? And so, you know, that I think is the thing that we are really going to have to watch for going forward. That, you know, did Cheryl Reeve in some respects fall on the sword, getting suspended, potentially missing the end of her top seeded link season to actually spark real change. Because now, you know, not only do people in the WNBA context know about what is going on in the wnba, but I think the other effect here is that, you know, this is a, you know, the casual fan, the casual supporter, the person who's not as tuned in is now very much aware or more aware about WNB officiating standards than they ever were. Before does that spark some change. And you know that to me, it's not an answer we're going to have over the next two weeks. I think it's going to be an answer we're going to have next year potentially. And over the next few years to come.
- [20:09]
A
Before we get out of here, I want to address the actual crash out on the court because it was surreal. It wasn't a foul. It wasn't ruled afoul. The NBA Referees Association. They have, like, an official Twitter account. They came out and said it was not a foul. Ben, your thoughts?
- [20:28]
E
I'm gonna plead the fifth here. Like, she does definitely get the ball clean.
- [20:32]
A
Yeah, she does.
- [20:33]
E
Unquestionably. Alyssa Thomas picks the pocket clean, no contact, and then she collides right into Nupisa Collier. Like, she fully runs through the leg, you know, Shall Reeve used the comment cracked, referring to Masha Klinda Kova getting cracked on the boards. Like, to me, this is. Was very akin to in the NFL, like, when a safety, you know, basically cracks a wide receiver going over the middle, just like runs right through them and draws contact. Like, that's what this was like. I mean, Alyssa Thomas ran right through Fee. Like. It's hard for me to disagree with the official NBA referee Twitter account because in theory, they're going by the letter of the law. Though I will also say this. A lot of coaches submit plays to league officials throughout the year that they think are misadministered, and they will sometimes get feedback back and the league will say, no, no, this was administered properly. And coaches will then think still to themselves, no, you actually don't understand the rules. So honestly, all this is above my pay grade in terms of was it a foul? Was it not a foul? I don't know if Sabrina has a stronger take than my wishy washy. I'm just glad I don't have to officiate that play.
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A
Right.
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D
I think a lot of this comes back to just how the WNBA is legislated, right? Like, what is supposed to be considered a foul? Because technically, if you get the ball clean first, it's not a foul, no matter how much contact occurs after the legal strip. And for that much contact to be allowed in a loose ball situation is kind of ridiculous. So on the one hand, the officials are doing their job. On the other hand, like, maybe that's a role that needs to be looked at.
- [22:12]
A
And that's the thing. I'm curious about the rule because one thing I saw floating around yesterday and I went and looked up, you know, in the rule book what incidental contact is, and it says the mere fact that contact occurs does not necessarily constitute a foul. Fair contact, which is incidental to an effort by a player to play an opponent, reach a loose ball, or perform normal defensive or offensive movements should not be considered illegal. This is the part that people that are saying what Alyssa Thomas is play for a ball in which she strips that ball clean. This is where they're like this. This falls under it. It should not be illegal that she, as she went and stripped that ball, she had contact after the fact by clipping Nafeesa's leg as she kept playing towards the layup that she eventually hit. If, however, a player, going back to the rule, if, however, a player attempts to play an opponent from a position where she has no reasonable chance to perform without making contact with her opponent, the responsibility is on the player in this position. And now this is where it gets interesting. Because of the angle that Nafeesa Collier was going across the top of the key for Alyssa to have stripped that ball, she had to almost go perpendicular to her and use her inner arm to strip that ball with her inner arm and then keep going. And so there was no way that she probably wouldn't have made contact. But does that mean it's a foul? I'm with Ben when it comes to this is above my pay grade for me and for those that were watching the game around me with me, we immediately go, oh, that's a foul. And we were like, oh, like you. Even if she got that strip clean, she was never going to be able to make that strip without making contact to Nafisa. But what's interesting, and this is for all the folks listening, you guys make your own thoughts on this. What is interesting is if you watch Cheryl Reeve watching the play at hand, she did not react to the steal until she saw Nafisa hurt. So don't know what that means. Don't know how you can interpret that, but even Sheryl Reeve saw that turnover. And you're even like the different camera angles. Alyssa Thomas is almost in the same frame as where she is on her bench looking at Nafisa Collier with no reaction, arms folded. And when she realizes that Nafisa got hurt on that play, that is when she is, like, erupts in emotion and has to be held back. Talk about lack of freedom of movement. Her entire team, including towel from Bridget Carlton's back, is trying to, like, corral the situation. Okay, before we get out of here, game four, there is no Cheryl Reef on the bench. We don't know what's going to happen with Nafisa Collier. We have not had an update on that just yet. What are the chances that this ends up being a Mercury and then we'll see what happens in the Aces Fever situation. But the Mercury moving on because they win Game four. What are the chances the Lynx could win?
- [25:23]
E
I think Phoenix has to be a pretty clear favorite here. I think the general expectation is that Eric Tebow, associate head coach of the Minnesota Links, former head coach of the Washington Mystics, is going to slide into the head coach chair for Minnesota. Certainly that's an experienced former head coach who knows, you know, has coached in playoff games before, but I think with fees looming, absence, I think that is pretty significant. I mean Minnesota will surely hope to replicate the bench success that Natisha Heidman had. I mean she scores 19 points in game three after, you know, Minnesota's bench combined score just three points in game two. If they're able to replicate that, they certainly give themselves a chance. We've seen Masha Klindikova play some really critical minutes this series, but they're going to need more out of Clint A cover. They're going to need more out of Atlanta Smith, who had very minimal role in Game three. And more than anything else, it's not only that Charlie Reeve will not be there, it is that Phoenix is coming out of one of their best games of the season in that their Big Three for the first time all year. Sabley, Copper and Thomas all scored more than 20 points in the same game. And so none of that really bodes well. Having to do this on the road for Minnesota, that does not bode well. Having to do without Shell Reeve does not bode well. I I mean I think their season is going to end on Sunday evening. The Minnesota Links, that is, you know.
- [26:44]
D
If you're Eric Tebow and you're trying to get your name back into consideration for head coaching jobs around the wnba. What a potential audition on Sunday to have to coach a playoff game in Game four. Maybe without Nafeesa Collier. But yeah, I was worried about in Minnesota's depth before he got hurt and now you're missing your best player. Like this is a team that has obviously done well to win games without Nafisa Collier during the regular season, but they had a fuller roster then when dijonay Carrington was available. She is not available. Collier will at least be limited if not outright unavailable and there's just too many bodies missing for my taste. For the Minnesota Lynx, I think they'll put up quite a fight. I don't expect this to be easy for Phoenix by any stretch of the imagination, but Phoenix just has too much firepower. I think for the Lynx to get this done, especially on Phoenix's home court.
- [27:30]
A
Guys, I don't know, I want it to be competitive. We've been given some really good basketball and I really hope this situation doesn't completely derail. Thinking about the comments that Courtney Williams had after the game. They're still in this. Technically, they're still alive and there's still possibilities. You never know. This could be, I don't know, an emotional galvanization, something. I don't know, something. I just want them to be competitive. Okay. All right, we got to close out this emergency pod, guys. Thanks for joining us. We'll be back on Tuesday. We're going to talk more about this call more about the suspension, obviously, because it's going to impact Game four that we're going to see on Sunday. And ooh, I don't know if that series will be over. We'll see. All right, talk to you guys soon. Thanks for listening and of course, make sure subscribe hit. You don't want to miss these pods and anything else we got going on for the rest of the playoffs. On behalf of Ben Pickman, Sabrina Merchant, I'm Zena Caida. I'm officially sweating right now thinking about this. Thank you for listening and we'll talk to you soon. How can you free your team from time consuming office tasks? Amazon Business empowers leaders to not only streamline purchasing, but better support their teams. Smart business buying tools enable buyers to find and purchase items fast so they can focus on strategy and growth. It's time to free up your teams and focus on your future. Learn more about the technology, insights and Support available@AmazonBusiness.com Trimble knows that for the.
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