WNBA Playoffs: Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve reportedly bumped into Sun players during postgame celebration

The Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx played Game 3 of their WNBA semifinal series on Friday. There was apparently additional tension behind the scenes.

As the two teams played, The Athletic's Ben Pickman and Shams Charania reported that Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve confronted Sun players near the locker room on Sunday after Connecticut's Game 1 victory. Reeve, a four-time WNBA champion and coach of the year, reportedly had a problem with how the Sun celebrated their win.

One person reportedly said that Reeve had “snapped” at the Sun players and that Target Center security had to intervene to defuse the situation.

If there was anything that particularly upset Reeve, it's hard to find it in an on-field replay. After Napheesa Collier's attempt at a game-winning 3-pointer crashed off the backboard, DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas let out shouts of victory, though they weren't directed specifically at any Lynx player.

The team then gathered as Reeve shook hands with Sun coach Stephanie White and walked past the Sun group toward the tunnel. Of course, not everything is captured on camera, especially off the field.

The reported confrontation could be why Game 2 became so choppy. In a heated and physical game, the Lynx won Game 2 with a strong defensive performance. It was their first home win against the Sun in eight games.

Reeve is by far the longest-tenured coach in the WNBA. Following Reeves' hiring in 2009, the Seattle Storm's Noelle is the next coach, hired in May 2021. Reeve has considerable influence in the emerging league and recently coached the U.S. National Team to gold medals at both the Olympic Games and FIBA ​​World Cup.

Thomas played on both teams.

While more eyes might be on the semifinals series featuring a WNBA Finals rematch between the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the WNBA-best New York Liberty, the Sun-Lynx series is anything but a dud. The two teams ranked first and second in the WNBA in defensive rating during the regular season and feature plenty of experienced talent such as Collier, Thomas and Bonner.

Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday in Connecticut, with a time to be announced.