As the Minnesota Lynx battle the Connecticut Sun in a physical WNBA playoff semifinal series, one heated encounter reportedly occurred after the final whistle in Game 1.
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Ben Pickman reported Friday that Reeve took issue with the way the Sun celebrated their 73–70 win over the Lynx on Sunday. Per The Athletic, Reeve "ran up" on the Sun players as they made their way to the locker room after the game, and security at Target Center had to step in.
The Game 1 Showdown
Game 1 went right down to the wire, as Lynx star Napheesa Collier missed a three-point attempt from 24 feet as the final buzzer sounded. Sun forward Alyssa Thomas bolted down the court and flexed in celebration of her team's Game 1 win.
"All season long it’s been a physical series. Every game has come down to the wire in the fourth quarter and we expected nothing less," Thomas said after Game 1. "We’re two of the top defensive teams for a reason."
The Physicality Continues in Game 2
The physicality continued into the Lynx' 77–70 win in Game 2 on Tuesday to even the best-of-five series at one game apiece. At one point, Sun guard Marina Mabrey tripped up Lynx guard Bridget Carlton, and Minnesota guard Kayla McBride was later whistled for a technical foul for taunting Mabrey.
Now Kayla McBride and Marina Mabrey get into it pic.twitter.com/qup5cC3nNu
Game 3: Lynx Hold the Lead
The series continued into Game 3 on Friday night with the Lynx holding a 14-point lead over Connecticut heading into the fourth quarter.
The Intensity Behind the Scenes
Reeve’s altercation with Sun players occurred as they walked to the opponent’s locker room in Minneapolis, with the 2024 Coach and Executive of the Year taking issue with how Connecticut celebrated its series-opening victory, the sources said. She "ran up" on Sun players, as one source briefed on the incident described, and arena security needed to get involved to defuse the scene.
No players or coaches have publicly commented on the altercation, but The Athletic reported that the league is aware of the incident. Reeve is one of the most decorated coaches in the WNBA — she’s coached the Lynx to 4 WNBA championships, and was named WNBA Coach of the Year in 2024. She also coached the U.S. women’s basketball team to a gold medal in the Paris Olympics.
It’s been a chippy series between the Sun and the Lynx so far — though outside of this report, it’s all been confined to the court.
Courtney Williams and Marina Mabrey — former teammates — were jawing at one another during Game 2, though Williams said at shootaround that it was all in good fun.
"That’s my dawg now," Williams said of Mabrey at Friday’s shootaround, noting that she regularly trash talks, even in practice.
"Like, I don’t really get mad when I trash talk," Williams said. "Some people trash talking — they be mad, out there playing mad. I trash talk, I’m still smiling and happy, so there’s different levels. Some people take themselves out of games when they start trash talking."
This story will be updated as more details become available.
