WNBA fines and suspends Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve — $15,000 fine, Game 4 suspension
The WNBA fined Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve $15,000 and suspended her for Game 4 of the semifinal series after she was ejected with about 21 seconds remaining late in Game 3 (Mercury 84, Lynx 76) following a verbal confrontation over a play in which Napheesa Collier was injured. The league also fined associate coach Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson $500 each, and reportedly issued additional $1,000 fines to Becky Hammon and Stephanie White.
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🔍 Key Facts
- Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was suspended for the team's next postseason game — Game 4 of the WNBA semifinal series — following her ejection late in Game 3 (Sept. 26, 2025).
- Reeve was ejected with about 21 seconds remaining in Game 3 (Mercury 84, Lynx 76) after a verbal confrontation over a play in which Napheesa Collier was injured.
- The WNBA initially announced Reeve's suspension and an undisclosed fine; later reporting (The Athletic, cited by Fox News) stated the fine was $15,000.
- Associate coach Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson were fined $500 each — Thibault for an on‑court interaction and Brunson for an inappropriate social‑media comment.
- Additional $1,000 fines were reported for Becky Hammon and Stephanie White.
- The penalties were issued in response to Reeve's clash with referees and critical postgame comments following the Game 3 incident.
📍 Contextual Background
- YouTube and its parent company Alphabet agreed to pay a total of $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Donald J. Trump over the temporary suspension of his YouTube account after the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
- Meta agreed to pay $25 million to Donald J. Trump to settle a 2021 lawsuit over its suspension of his accounts following the Capitol attack.
- X agreed to pay $10 million to Donald J. Trump to settle its lawsuit concerning his account suspension; that lawsuit was filed before Elon Musk acquired the platform.
- As part of the YouTube/Alphabet settlement, $2.5 million was allocated to other plaintiffs whose accounts were removed from the site, including the American Conservative Union.
- Federal prosecutors commonly resolve federal criminal charges through plea agreements, which typically result in a sentence below the statutory maximum.
- Debarment is a federal administrative process that can render an entity ineligible to receive federal grants.
📰 Sources (2)
WNBA penalizes Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve with historic fine after playoff game outburst, ejection: report
New information:
- The Athletic reported a $15,000 fine levied against Cheryl Reeve.
- League fined associate coach Eric Thibault and Rebekkah Brunson $500 each; reported additional $1,000 fines to Becky Hammon and Stephanie White.
- Reeve was suspended for Game 4 of the WNBA semifinal series following her ejection late in Game 3 (Sept. 26, 2025).
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve suspended, fined after referee clash, critical postgame comments
New information:
- WNBA suspended Cheryl Reeve for the Lynx's next postseason game and ordered an undisclosed fine.
- Assistant coaches Eric Thibault (on-court interaction) and Rebekkah Brunson (inappropriate social-media comment) were also fined.
- Incident occurred late in Game 3 (Mercury 84, Lynx 76); Reeve was ejected with about 21 seconds remaining following a verbal confrontation over a play in which Napheesa Collier was injured.