Cheryl Reeve is right about this — the quality of officiating in the WNBA is putrid.
Now, no one believes officiating is good at any level in any sport, particularly when there is a rooting interest involved. But compare the consistency of calls and contact allowed in the WNBA to the NBA and the difference is stark.
In the NBA, oftentimes when you don’t like a call, it’s because you don’t like a rule. In the WNBA, there’s rarely rhyme nor reason for why something was or wasn’t called.
However, that wasn’t the case at the tail end of Game 3 of the Lynx’s Western Conference semifinals in Phoenix. And it’s not why Minnesota is losing this series. While the Napheesa Collier injury was highly unfortunate, there was nothing illegal about the Alyssa Thomas steal. Her swipe of the ball was clean and, in professional basketball, once that steal takes place, any further contact is indeed deemed “incidental.”
Like it or not, that’s the rule.
Reeve’s postgame rant included many more instances with which she had qualms, and that’s fine. But there has to be an expectation that more physicality will be allowed in the postseason.
Yes, WNBA coaches have suggested the allowable contact has gone over the edge in these playoffs. Funnily enough, NBA coaches said the same thing at the start of their postseason in the spring. It’s the way it is at this point; adapt or go home.
In their hearts, coaches know as much. Rarely will a whistle save a team that’s not matching the opponent’s level of physicality. And, in the second half of each of their past two games, Minnesota has not matched that part of its game to meet Phoenix.
The result is a pair of losses. If that doesn’t change, a similar outcome is waiting for Minnesota on Sunday in Phoenix, which would end the Lynx’s season.
Sure, Minnesota is behind the eight ball, particularly if Napheesa Collier can’t play due to injuries suffered from that collision with Thomas. But the Lynx proved late in the season they can play at a high level even if their best player isn’t available.
But winning — without or without Collier — will require Minnesota bringing a hit-first mentality to the game.
The Lynx cannot allow themselves to be pushed around by a bigger Phoenix team.
Perhaps the urgency that comes with such a successful season being pushed to the brink will bring out the level of aggression required to achieve to send this series back to Minneapolis for Game 5.
That’s the change Minnesota can make happen now. Ideally for the League, an upgrade in officiating is soon to follow.
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