Minnesota Lynx On SI

NBA Referees Make Statement on Controversial Play in Lynx-Mercury Game 3

The play went down between Minnesota lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas in the last 30 seconds of the game.

Jack Haslett

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve questions referee Blanca Burns on a call in the first quarter of the game with the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve questions referee Blanca Burns on a call in the first quarter of the game with the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Napheesa Collier was injured with 21 seconds left in the Minnesota Lynx's Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night. That part is certain. The discussion that followed the incident has been the subject of controversy across the basketball world.

As Collier moved with the ball downcourt, Alyssa Thomas moved in for a steal. Thomas got her hand in between Collier and the ball, knocking it away. In the process, the two forwards slammed together and Collier went down hard and turned her ankle. She had to leave the game and as of this moment, the extent of the Minnesota star's injury is not yet known.

Thomas wasn't called for a foul, much to the outrage of Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. Reeve received her second technical foul of the game and an ejection for the way she unleashed on the officials for not punishing Thomas. She has since been suspended for her actions after her ejection and for her comments in her postgame conference.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier falls to the ground.
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) falls to the ground as Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) and forward Alyssa Thomas (25) attempt to get the ball during game two of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Since then, countless voices have weighed in on whether or not Thomas actually did commit a foul. Some have called it a dirty physical move, while others defended Thomas, calling the collision incidental contact and a clean basketball play.

The discourse has gotten so severe that the official X account of NBA referees has now weighed in and leaned toward the side of the latter opinion.

NBA Referees Speak Out

"This is NOT a foul," the post said. "Thomas legally gets to the ball and knocks the ball loose prior to any contact. The leg to leg contact is incidental once the ball is clearly loose. This was correctly judged in real time as a no call as were the subsequent technical fouls.

A statement from the governing body of NBA officiating seems to be the final word on the matter. Still, many have not been convinced. Thomas has been criticized for throwing her body into Collier while going for the steal, leading to the collision. The fact that she remained upright while Collier was taking her down, while in motion, has still led many to decry Thomas' move.

The comments from the NBA referees post are filled with people pulling up the WNBA rule book and referring to loose ball fouls to explain Thomas' perceived wrongdoing. The referees defended the call due to the ball being loose before any contact occurred, an explanation that hasn't been good enough for many fans.

Others have agreed with the official's decision, saying that Thomas attempted to move out of the way and that Collier's momentum carried her forward into the collision.

Judgement may have come from high on Game 3's controversial call, or lack thereof, but that certainly doesn't mean the matter has been put to rest.

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Jack Haslett
JACK HASLETT

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