Cheryl Reeve’s complaint doubles as warning for Lynx before WNBA playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve did not enjoy watching her team lose to the Atlanta Dream.
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She might eventually appreciate the lesson. Atlanta defeated Minnesota 89-81 on Sunday, preventing the Lynx from clinching the No. 1 seed before the WNBA paused for the FIBA World Cup. The Dream led by as many as 20 points and used their physicality to disrupt one of the league’s top teams.
Reeve addressed that physical play after the loss, telling Lynx reporter Andrew Dukowitz that the game offered a preview of what Minnesota should expect in the postseason.
“Physicality and reaching and grabbing” will become normal in the playoffs, Reeve said.
That might have sounded like a complaint about the officiating. It also doubled as a scouting report for every team preparing to face Minnesota.
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The Lynx were not overwhelmed by one superstar performance. They were beaten by Atlanta’s depth and collective pressure.
Allisha Gray finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds while making six 3-pointers. Jordin Canada added 16 points and 10 assists, and Rhyne Howard scored 16. Angel Reese supplied another 15 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and one block. It was her 29th double-double of the season, setting a new WNBA record.
Minnesota received 21 points from rookie Olivia Miles. Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride scored 17 each, but the Lynx never fully recovered from Atlanta’s early control.
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That is the part Reeve must solve.
Playoff games rarely feature clean movement, generous spacing and consistent whistles. Opponents will hold cutters, attack ballhandlers and test how much contact officials permit. The Lynx cannot allow those conditions to knock them out of their preferred offense.
Minnesota remains one of the championship favorites, and one August loss does not change that. The Lynx have the talent, experience and coaching to respond. Atlanta demonstrated how an opponent could make the matchup uncomfortable, though. The Dream pressured Minnesota’s actions, controlled the glass and received production throughout the lineup.
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Reeve called the game a useful look at playoff basketball. She was right. The loss provided Minnesota with a problem it now has time to address. Whether the Lynx solve it could determine if their regular-season success produces a championship.
