Lynx's Reeve blasts refs after Collier hurt in loss

PHOENIX -- Lynx caput manager Cheryl Reeve went disconnected connected the officiating unit pursuing Minnesota's 84-76 nonaccomplishment to the Phoenix Mercury successful Game 3 of their bid Friday, saying it was "malpractice" to person them enactment a WNBA playoff semifinal game.

Reeve was ejected successful the closing seconds of the 4th fourth aft Mercury defender Alyssa Thomas stole the shot from Lynx guardant Napheesa Collier and sealed the crippled astatine the different extremity with a layup.

Collier writhed successful symptom connected the crushed aft her near limb made interaction with Thomas connected the play, resulting successful Collier coming down hard connected the broadside of her ankle. No foul was called. Collier hobbled to the bench, and Reeve said afterward that it was "probably a fracture" connected her ankle, though she did not elaborate connected the injury.

The Lynx did not person an update connected Collier's presumption for Game 4.

"If this is what the league wants, OK, but I privation to telephone for a alteration of enactment astatine the league level erstwhile it comes to officiating," Reeve said aft the Lynx fell down 2-1 successful the series. "The officiating unit that we had tonight, for the enactment to deem those 3 radical semifinal playoff worthy, it's f---ing malpractice."

After Thomas scored, a furious Reeve had to beryllium restrained arsenic she ran onto the tribunal to berate 1 of the officials. As the ref tried to locomotion away, Reeve followed him and received her 2nd method of the game, starring to an ejection.

Guard Natisha Hiedeman tried to clasp Reeve back. So did 2 of her adjunct coaches, portion subordinate caput manager Eric Thibault got a method for yelling astatine the refs, arsenic well.

Reeve would not halt and had to beryllium dragged disconnected the court. As she yet turned to locomotion backmost to the locker room, she yelled profanities astatine the PHX Arena fans.

Collier, who had to beryllium retired the last 21 seconds of the game, finished with 17 points connected 8-of-15 shooting.

There were 15 pb changes successful this back-and-forth game, and nary squad got a bigger pb than 8 points. But successful the 4th quarter, the Lynx were constricted to conscionable 9 points, allowing the Mercury to instrumentality control.

Phoenix's large 3 of Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper combined for 65 of the Mercury's 84 points. They scored each of the Mercury's past 29 points of the game, including each 21 successful the 4th quarter.

In her postgame remarks, Reeve was incredulous that Collier did not effort a escaped propulsion Friday night.

"We were trying to play done it, trying not to marque excuses. But 1 of the champion players successful the league, she had zero escaped throws and she had 5 fouls," Reeve said. "She had her enarthrosis pulled retired and finished the crippled with her limb being taken out."

Reeve added: "I tin instrumentality an L with the champion of them. I don't deliberation we should person to play done what we did."

Then, earlier walking retired of the quality league without taking questions from reporters, Reeve said, "They're f---ing awful."

Reeve is the latest manager to talk retired against the officiating this postseason. After Game 2 betwixt the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever, Aces manager Becky Hammon said that the level of physicality happening successful these playoffs would not alert successful immoderate different league.

When Reeve was asked astir the officiating earlier Game 3 successful Phoenix, she said the deficiency of fouls being called successful the Lynx-Mercury bid wasn't thing to boast about. Game 1 of the bid saw the fewest combined escaped throws successful a playoff crippled successful league history, with conscionable 10.

Reeve said she didn't privation a "foul fest," but said thing that limite...