UNCASVILLE, Conn. — A chippy playoff collection between the Connecticut Solar and Minnesota Lynx simply bought much more fascinating. The Athletic reported that after the Solar defeated the Lynx in Recreation 1 of the WNBA semi-finals, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve confronted Solar gamers close to their locker room:
Reeve’s altercation with Solar gamers occurred as they walked to the opponent’s locker room in Minneapolis, with the 2024 Coach and Govt of the 12 months taking challenge with how Connecticut celebrated its series-opening victory, the sources stated.
She “ran up” on Solar gamers, as one supply briefed on the incident described, and area safety wanted to get entangled to defuse the scene.
No gamers or coaches have publicly commented on the altercation, however The Athletic reported that the league is conscious of the incident.
Cheryl Reeve and Lynx gamers Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier had been requested concerning the reporter after the Lynx’s 90-81 Recreation 3 win.
“It’s just like the gamers at all times say, there’s actually aggressive individuals — actually aggressive individuals within the playoffs,” Reeve stated.
“I didn’t even see their celebrations, to be sincere with you,” Williams stated. “We centered on us. No matter they did, it’s what they did.”
Solar head coach Stephanie White additionally opted to not elaborate additional concerning the incident when requested about it postgame.
“I wasn’t there, however that was every week in the past. I don’t actually have any touch upon that,” White stated.
Stephanie White requested concerning the report that Cheryl Reeve confronted gamers after Recreation 1:
“I wasn’t there, however that was every week in the past. I don’t have any touch upon that.” pic.twitter.com/aG3d26wgtc
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) October 5, 2024
Reeve is likely one of the most embellished coaches within the WNBA — she’s coached the Lynx to 4 WNBA championships, and was named WNBA Coach of the 12 months in 2024. She additionally coached the U.S. ladies’s basketball workforce to a gold medal within the Paris Olympics.
It’s been a chippy collection between the Solar and the Lynx to this point — with Recreation 2 being the spotlight of that — although exterior of this report, it’s all been restricted to the courtroom.
Courtney Williams and Marina Mabrey — former teammates — had been jawing at each other throughout Recreation 2, although Williams stated at shootaround that it was all in good enjoyable.
“That’s my dawg now,” Williams stated of Mabrey at Friday’s shootaround, noting that she commonly trash talks, even in observe.
“Like, I don’t actually get mad once I trash speak,” Williams stated. “Some individuals trash speaking — they be mad, on the market taking part in mad. I trash speak, I’m nonetheless smiling and blissful, so there’s completely different ranges. Some individuals take themselves out of video games after they begin trash speaking.”
The Lynx responded to the Recreation 1 loss with wins in Video games 2 and three to take a 2-1 collection lead — and Reeve praised her workforce’s physicality and aggression after Recreation 2, so she could have gotten the response she wished.
This growing story might be up to date as extra particulars turn into out there.
