Minnesota Lynx On SI

Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve's Harsh Message After Loss to Storm

After a bad loss to Seattle, the Minnesota Lynx have some soul searching to do.

Grant Mona

Aug 21, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve questions a call during the game against the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Aug 21, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve questions a call during the game against the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

A season that has been so successful for the Minnesota Lynx, turned ugly during and after the game on Thursday against the Seattle Storm.

Minnesota held a commanding 21-point lead in the second quarter, but the Storm mounted a massive rally, outscoring the Lynx 60-33 in the second half.

Seattle came out in the second half blazing, scoring 34 points to the Lynx's 17, culminating with the Storm shooting an incredible 57.1 percent from the field and 57.9 percent from three-point range in the second half alone.

For a team with championship aspirations and that has shown pure dominance over the course of the 2025 season, it was a shock to many, including Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.

Reeve Blasts Her Team's Defense

After the game, a frustrated Reeve, whose team is the top seed in the Western Conference and overall WNBA standings, lashed out at her team about their lack of defense.

She said, "Play some f****** defense man, play some defense, act like that end matters, we have not done that in a long time, and that's what was the focus, and so you play one quarter of defense. That's it."

Reeve continued, "Understand we told them how the team was going to adjust, we told them what Seattle was going to be looking for. We had 12 deflections on the game. That tells you everything.”

Reeve also got into a heated moment in the third quarter as she was called for a technical foul after a Storm player appeared to be shouting at the Minnesota bench.

Where Minnesota Stands Now

The loss was impactful for the Lynx, as a win would have secured home-court advantage for them throughout the playoffs, and it was only their second home loss of the season.

Kayla McBride led the team with 20 points, and MVP candidate Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams each contributed 18 points, with Williams adding 10 assists as well.

For the Storm, they torched the Lynx defense, with Skylar Diggins leading the way with 23 points, 19 of them in the second half alone.

The Lynx may still have the top seed in the WNBA, but Reeve's four WNBA championships hold the team to a much higher standard.

With Collier back in the lineup after missing time due to an ankle injury, the Lynx are looking to wrap up the number one seed and clinch home-court advantage throughout with a win against the Sun on Saturday.

Related Articles

Lynx Stars Make Case for Cheryl Reeve To Win WNBA Coach of the Year

Skylar Diggins, Storm Mock Lynx Celebration After Win on Thursday

Cheryl Reeve's Wild Napheesa Collier Statement After Lynx-Fever

Published |Modified
Grant Mona
GRANT MONA

Grant Mona is a multimedia sports journalist based in Los Angeles, covering multiple teams. He is a co-host and producer on The Sporting Tribune Today on The BET Las Vegas, KIRN 670 in Southern California and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network. He formerly played baseball with the University of the Pacific Tigers.

Home/News