After an epic postgame rant regarding WNBA officials, does Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve have a point?

Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts praised the officiating in the first two games of the WNBA semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx, noting the light calls and allowance for physical defense. However, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve strongly disagreed with this assessment, as evidenced by her ejection during Game 3.

Reeve was ejected with 21.8 seconds left in the Lynx's 84-76 loss after receiving a second technical foul for disputing a no-call on a play involving Minnesota star Napheesa Collier. The incident occurred when Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from Collier, leading to a collision that caused Collier to roll her ankle. Reeve's first technical came earlier in the game due to another disputed call involving Thomas's physical defense on Collier, who finished the game with zero free throws and fouled out.

Postgame, with the Lynx trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series, Reeve highlighted that she is not alone in criticizing the WNBA's officiating, citing consistency issues and excessive physicality. She referenced comments from Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, who expressed concerns that such physical play leads to injuries and altercations, questioning the league's standards.

Hammon had previously criticized the officiating after the Aces' playoff game, describing the physicality as "out of control" and comparing it to football, emphasizing the lack of freedom of movement for players. Other coaches, including Indiana Fever's Stephanie White and Golden State's Natalie Nakase, have also voiced frustrations about inconsistent officiating, with Nakase earlier in the season pleading for more consistency from referees.