Blind rage—the only two words close enough to describe what head coach Cheryl Reeve was feeling last Friday. But it wasn’t without reason. During the last minute of the Minnesota Lynx-Mercury Phoenix Game 3 clash, Alyssa Thomas came swooping in, stealing the ball from Napheesa Collier. The result? The latter hitting the ground, with video clearly showing the uncomfortable angle her ankle landed in. Referees, however, begged to differ.

Amid a no-call, Thomas effortlessly recorded the game-sealing layup, as the Lynx star lay in pain. Reeve, on the other hand, went ballistic. She stormed toward the official immediately, while pointing fingers and airing loud complaints. It almost looked like things would get physical if not for other coaching staff members and players holding the HC back. Unfortunately, and expectedly, Reeve was ejected. What’s more, the 59-year-old even shouted profanities at the Mercury crowd on her way out and then delivered the final blow post-game.

“We talked about how dangerous it can be. You’re hearing it from the other series, you’re hearing it from other coaches, you’re hearing [Las Vegas Aces coach] Becky [Hammon] talk about, when you let the physicality happen, people get hurt, there’s fights. And this is the look that our league wants, for some reason. But I want to call for a change in leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. It’s bad for the game. The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy is f—ing malpractice,” she pointedly remarked. Even Stephanie White agreed.

“I think that she made a lot of valid points,” the Fever HC said Sunday. “A lot of the same kind of conversations are happening. It’s happening from every team, from every franchise, from every coach, from every player. And I think at some point there has to be some accountability. Every part of our league has gotten better, and that part has lagged behind, for whatever reason.”

Multiple times this season, WNBA’s officiating has come under the radar. Take, for example, Indiana Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty earlier this season. Head coach White had talked of two non-calls in the final 36 seconds of the game—Natasha Cloud had wrapped her arms around Caitlin Clark and pushed her elbow to get the ball loose, and again blocked DeWanna Bonner, hitting her face in the process. And who can forget the Connecticut Sun’s game vs the Fever on June 18?

Controversy had run amok when Jacy Sheldon first poked Clark in the eye. When the Fever star reacted, Marina Mabrey immediately came running and shoved her opponent to the ground. Mabrey was initially handed a technical foul (upgraded to a flagrant 2 the next day) but not ejected. While WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert did inform that they “continue to work on” officiating issues, the league’s latest move only shows not much has changed.

As per the latest update, White has incurred a $1,000 penalty for her public show of support. But that’s not all as Becky Hammon also managed to attract the league’s wrath for the same reason.

“From what I heard, [Cheryl Reeve] did not tell a lie. She said the truth. I think something has to change. When players are in vulnerable positions, such as jumping or running full speed, I think you have to protect them. You have to protect your product. If that was LeBron James, or that was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or somebody like that, they would protect some of those players,” she had said, leading to another $1,000 fine. And Reeve herself?

Well, she just landed on the wrong side of history with the largest individual fine in WNBA history at $15,000. Notably, this comes exactly a year after the head coach was at the center of a similar controversy.

After the Lynx lost the WNBA Finals to New York last season, Reeve had openly stated that the championship was “stolen” from them due to “incredibly disappointing” officiating. On that occasion, the contention was regarding a foul call on Minnesota’s Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds to go. Despite Reeve’s challenge, and with the Liberty trailing by two, Breanna Stewart had gone to the free-throw line for two successful attempts. Lynx had ultimately lost 67-62 in overtime.

While no fines were handed back then, it’s clear that the WNBA has something to work on. And even fans agree.

Fans join coaches to call out the WNBA

One fan got straight to the point: “Meanwhile league claims a loss of $400 million since the W inception (29 years) but made $425 million last year in revenue & expansion fees. Will collect $750 million in fees this year. New media deal estimated to bring $200 million each year. But they can’t afford good refs.” 

Yes, the WNBA has reported cumulative losses of nearly $400 million since its inception 29 years ago. Last year alone, the league faced a $40 million loss, even as it generated a record $200 million in revenue. Despite these challenges, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert oversaw league growth by adding three new teams, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia, each paying a $250 million expansion fee, totaling $750 million. Yet, amid all this progress, officiating remained the season’s most debated topic.

As a user put it better, as they wrote, “Use the money to hire better refs,” while another remarked, “When the officials don’t get control of the ballgame, when they allow that stuff to happen, and it’s been happening all season long,” Stephanie White said back then. “You’ve got competitive women who are the best in the world at what they do, and when you allow them to play physical, and you allow these things to happen, they’re going to compete, and they’re going to have their teammates’ backs.”

“And yet nothing is done to address player safety and better officiating, more games and fewer days, no increase in roster,” penned another user. Well, yes, the league expanded its schedule to 44 games per team, up from 36, aiming to increase visibility and meet growing fan demand. However, this led to concerns about player safety and well-being. So, with the tighter schedule Cathy Engelbert dreamed of, better officiating was a non-negotiable to avoid injuries. Yet, till now, more than 250 players have been injured and more than 980 games have been missed.

“$15,000?!?!? That’s crazy. What is her salary?” penned another user. A genuine question. $15,000 is a lot of money, but for Reeve, it’s 2.1% of her annual salary. As of now, Reeve is the third-highest-paid coach in the league, earning $700,000 per annum in 2025. Her compensation includes both her role as head coach for the Lynx and as HC for Team USA Basketball. So, while it’s a lot, it’s not really for Reeve. “Why were Becky and Steph fined more than the coaches that were involved on the sidelines? This league will never grow if refs and the leadership can’t take valid criticism,” penned another user.

Following the Minnesota Lynx’s Game 3 loss, assistant coaches Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson each received a $500 fine from the league. Thibault’s fine was due to an inappropriate interaction with an official on the court, while Brunson was penalized for an inappropriate social media comment directed at WNBA officials. So, yes, the concerns penned by this fan are understandable.