Cheryl Reeve is never one to hide her reactions to decisions made on the court. And after picking up another technical for protest, the head coach is getting praise for it from players.

Beat writer Andrew Dukowitz shared the press conference clip on X. Natasha Howard made it clear that she appreciated Reeve's gesture.

“When you have a coach that will have your back, then you have they back too. I’m happy we have a coach like that, that will do anything for us when it comes to those types of calls or whatever,” she stated. 

The moment Howard spoke of came in the third quarter, with nearly six minutes on the clock.

The Minnesota Lynx lost 84–79 to the Washington Mystics on June 21. However, the postgame attention shifted from the final result to the locker room. Just seconds after subbing in for Sonia Citron, Cotie McMahon battled Natasha Howard under the rim.

While Mystics grabbed the defensive rebound, McMahon and Howard locked arms, with Howard staring down McMahon before the two were separated.

Officials reviewed the tense play on the monitor and ruled it a double personal foul. Reeve protested the call from the sideline to protect her player and received a technical foul. 

Reeve holds a reputation for her passion and for always standing up for her players. However, Reeve may need to exercise caution. While she has to pay $500 for this technical, her third of the season, a fifth technical foul can result in an official reprimand.

Despite the sideline drama, the actual contact on the court was standard basketball. “Just got tangled up, boxing out, that’s all,” Howard explained.

Howard kept Minnesota competitive with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals. The real reason Minnesota lost the game came down to basic execution.

Late-game troubles cost Minnesota more than the technical foul

The Lynx struggled with a poor finish in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. They missed their final six field goals of the game when they needed points the most. Costly turnovers and execution mistakes ruined their chances.

The fatigue of playing their 5th game in 9 days played a role in the loss. The roster is also dealing with tough injury challenges, with players like Napheesa Collier and Dorka Juhasz sidelined. Yet, Minnesota remains among the top contenders in the league. 

Minnesota may remember their coach's response much longer than they remember the final whistle. The Lynx go up against the Mystics once again on the 24th and will hope to redeem themselves after this loss.

Read more at Her Sports Nation! 

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar