Following Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve expressed her frustration with the officiating, claiming it cost her team a chance at a championship title.
Reeve criticized the officiating by saying, “We have got to change our challenge rules, and the officials during the game should have a third party. Because that was not a foul. That call should have been reversed on that challenge.”
She was specifically upset about a foul call given to New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart in the final seconds of the game.
Reeve further stated, “I know all the headlines will be ‘Reeve cries foul.’ Bring it on. Because this s*** was stolen from us,” as reported by X user @cjzero.
Her comments gained traction on social media but Reeve was not fined by the WNBA, as revealed in an ESPN article by Alexa Philippou on October 28.
Philippou stated, “The WNBA did not fine Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve after her criticism of the officiating from the WNBA Finals Game 5,” adding that fines for criticism of officiating have been issued throughout the year.
Reeve was not alone in her criticism, as Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello also voiced displeasure with the referees in a previous game without facing fines.
It seems the WNBA was fair in not penalizing any coaches involved in the Finals for their comments about officiating.
