Cheryl Reeve. Image Credits: Bryan Lynn/Imago
Cheryl Reeve. Image Credits: Bryan Lynn/Imago
Instead of praising Caitlin Clark's dominance, two analysts blamed the Lynx. Analyst Monica McNutt called the Lynx "a mess," and Jason Whitlock just sided with her.
Fever dominated Wednesday night as they secured the 96-77 win. McNutt pointed out that the Lynx gave up on the game with the playoffs approaching. Whitlock couldn’t agree more.
“Monica McNutt is right. The WNBA and Minnesota Lynx took a dump on everybody tonight. Embarrassing,” Whitlock wrote on X.
UNCASVILLE, CT - JULY 08: Minnesota Lynx players Napheesa Collier L Olivia Miles C and Dorka Juhasz R share a laugh during the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun on July 8, 2026, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 08 Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26070803
UNCASVILLE, CT - JULY 08: Minnesota Lynx players Napheesa Collier L Olivia Miles C and Dorka Juhasz R share a laugh during the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun on July 8, 2026, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 08 Minnesota Lynx at Connecticut Sun EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26070803
His blunt take echoed McNutt's frustration with Minnesota's approach.
With the team trailing 57-34 at halftime, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve benched her starters. From there on, the game fully fell in favor of the Fever.
But Whitlock's post on X drew backlash. The Fever's offense earned the spotlight.
Clark dropped 27 points, Kelsey Mitchell followed with 20, and Aliyah Boston put an end to her rusty form with 17. McNutt also turned a blind eye to this and criticized the Lynx’s approach.
"The Lynx have not helped themselves at all, just flinging the basketball all over the place," McNutt said. “This looks a mess."
Whitlock and McNutt have drawn heavy criticism for their comments. The Lynx starters did feature at the start and were ousted by Clark and co.
Having locked up the No.1 seed, Reeve felt it was the right move to rest her starters as the game slipped away from their hands.
Why Reeve benched the starters
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve’s decision to bench her starters early in the game caused a stir. However, she came out and explained her decision.
“It was apparent that maybe rest was a better option, with the playoffs starting on Sunday," said the four-time champion coach, per ClutchPoints' Paolo Mariano. "We thought that first group would be better served saving legs, and not chasing a win that wasn't going to happen.”
With rookie star Olivia Miles missing, the Fever were already running away with the game by the second quarter. That’s when Reeve threw in the towel.
Reeve also saw a silver lining in the blowout defeat, crediting her subs who put up a strong fight. Chloe Bibby led the scoring with 15 points, and Liatu King finished with 12 points.
McNutt and Whitlock may not have been impressed, but Reeve decided for the whole squad.
Written by
Avishek Sarkar