The Minnesota Lynx have already been eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs semifinals, but bad news continues to pile up for Cheryl Reeve’s team. Following the latest ejection in Game 3 against the Mercury, the head coach was reportedly fined by the league, as were her colleagues Stephanie White and Becky Hammon.
Reeve couldn’t contain her emotions at the end of the third game between her team and Phoenix. Restrained by staff and players, she vehemently confronted the officials, which led to her immediate ejection. After the game, the HC strongly voiced her frustrations during the press conference.
While no official announcement has been made, a person familiar with the penalty told The Associated Press that Reeve was fined $15,000, in what is believed to be the largest fine ever imposed on an individual coach or player in league history.
The conduct during the game and her subsequent statements did not go unnoticed by WNBA authorities, who decided to take action to penalize this type of behavior from those involved.
White and Hammon also reportedly fined
Stephanie White, coach of the Indiana Fever, and Becky Hammon, coach of the Aces, were also reportedly fined, but with a lesser amount. Although no official statement was made, the fines are believed to be around $1,000. What was the reason for the punishment? Supporting the words of their colleague.
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“I think that she made a lot of valid points,” White 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.”
“From what I heard, she did not tell a lie,” Hammon also defended Reeve. “She said the truth. A lot of people thought it wasn’t a foul, so let me give you an analogy. In the NFL, if you are a wide receiver, and you’re going for a ball, and the ball is going this direction, you’re going this direction, and then the defender is coming, you don’t get to run through that wide receiver to get to the ball, even though the ball is loose.”
