The Minnesota Lynx went from being leaders in the WNBA standings to being eliminated in the Playoff Semifinals by the Phoenix Mercury last Sunday.
However, what caught everyone’s attention were the comments made by Lynx star Napheesa Collier during her exit interviews.
Phee’s strong message against the WNBA’s management
The recent tensions left by the Lynx‘s last two playoff games grew after the 29-year-old forward’s comments.
The truth is that during Game 3, with 30 seconds left in the game, Alyssa Thomas stole the ball from Collier and, while the Phoenix star secured the victory with a basket, the Lynx point guard fell to the ground. This sparked the fury of Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.
After accusing the referees of “f***ing malpractice” and insisting on a change in leadership in the league, the coach was ejected from the game, sanctioned by the WNBA, preventing her from being present in Game 4, and fined $15,000 for her comments and conduct on Friday night.
In addition, after this play, it was confirmed that Napheesa suffered an ankle injury that kept her off the court for Game 4 against the Mercury.
With this background, when Collier responded to the press during her exit interviews, she did not sugarcoat the situation and made her annoyance with the league’s management clear:
“Let me be clear: This conversation is not about winning or losing. It’s about something much bigger,” Phee began, adding, “The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls or physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office.”
In her speech, Collier also described the failure to look after the players and the fact that “the product” they put on the court is affected by the fact that “officials lose control of games” as “truly self-sabotage”: “Yet leadership just issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to be fixed. That is negligence,” she added.
We have the best league in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But we have the worst leadership in the world.
Meanwhile, we still have to wait and see what impact Collier’s comments will have on the league. In the meantime, Phoenix Mercury awaits its rival in the playoff finals: Fever and Aces will face off at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept 30.
Read the full article here
