MIGHTY MERCURY!

The Phoenix Mercury leads the WNBA Semifinal series against the Minnesota Lynx 2-1.

On Friday night, Phoenix defeated Minnesota 84-76 in a game that would end in controversial fashion following double ejections for Minnesota.

Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve and Assistant Head Coach Eric Thibault were ejected in the 4th quarter after a foul call on Naphesse Collier, which Reeve vehemently disagreed with.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve addressed the dangers of game physicality, the officiating, and called for a leadership change at the league level. She did not make any further comments about the game. Reeve called the officiating of Friday night’s game a “malpractice.”

Lynx players addressed the media after the game in a somber tone, given the fireworks that erupted during the fourth quarter. They had little to say about the incident. Courtney Williams said, “You can’t dwell on it,” and expressed their anticipation for Game 4 on Sunday, emphasizing the need to “be better”.

Nate Tibbetts, Mercury’s Head Coach, response to the league officiating is that the team has been focused on themselves and what needs to be done to win. Regarding the outcome of the game he said that it is a team that believes in each other, is tough and is competitive which posed a challenging fourth quarter for the Lynx. Tibbetts credited the Mercury’s defense for securing the win.

Mercury’s Big 3, Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, and Satou Sabally, aren’t calling it a series victory just yet. Although Friday night’s win sets the tone for a possible series win, they echo their coach’s sentiments that work still needs to be done while having fun playing the game.

The Mercury vs. Lynx Semifinal Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday at 5 PM Arizona local time.