According to The Athletic, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve confronted Connecticut Sun players after Game 1 of the team’s semifinal series on Sept. 29. Upset over the way the Sun celebrated the win, Reeve met players near the visiting locker room.
The incident was contentious enough that arena security reportedly had to get involved. The WNBA did not respond to a request for comment from The Athletic.
“It’s like the players always say, there’s really competitive people, really competitive people,” Reeve said when asked about the altercation after the Lynx’s 90-81 win over the Sun in Game 3 on Friday. “We’re in the playoffs.”
It has been, as expected, a very physical and chippy series – at moments downright contentious. Game 2 was particularly chippy, as the Lynx tried to deliver a response to their series-opening defeat.
At one point in the early second quarter, Marina Mabrey drew an offensive foul on Bridget Carleton, and appeared to kick her leg out at the Lynx forward while she was on the ground.
Couple possessions later, Mabrey was in a tie-up with Napheesa Collier, who took exception to the physicality and the two had to be separated.
Less than a minute later, Kayla McBride was called for a technical foul after taunting Mabrey following a layup.
Late in the fourth quarter, McBride also assessed a hard foul on Dijonai Carrington, who went down hard and had to be restrained after getting up. That play, upon review, was more awkward than dangerous, and it was not upgraded to a flagrant.
“We had an aggression about us that was necessary,” Reeve said after Game 2. “When you play these guys, you have to be physically and mentally tough, because they sure are.”
The Lynx kept that mentality going in Game 3, compiling the best performance of the series in pulling out to a 2-1 lead. Since that close loss in Game 1, the Lynx have barely trailed, and now are one win away from their first Finals trip since 2017.
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