Lynx’s season might just be on the verge of ending the same way their 2024 did. And no, we’re not talking about an exit without a title. We’re talking about frustration, anger, and that gut-punch feeling of being “robbed” because of officiating. What was already a physical series boiled over in Game 3, and by the time the buzzer sounded, Minnesota didn’t have a single thing to smile about. But the real heartbreak? It all came down to what happened with Napheesa Collier.

Collier went down with an injury after colliding with Alyssa Thomas with less than 30 seconds left in Minnesota’s 84-76 Game 3 loss on Friday. She appeared to roll her ankle as she hit the floor following a steal by Mercury star. As AT launched the fast-break bucket, all Phee could do was wince in pain and slap the floor. It was very much evident that it’s more than just a typical tweak. Collier couldn’t even walk off on her own. She had to be helped back to the locker room with 21.8 seconds remaining. 

Afterward, Cheryl Reeve, along with her rant on the refs, revealed Collier “probably has a fracture,” though the team hasn’t given any official update on the full extent of the injury. What they did confirm, though, is Collier is out for Sunday’s do-or-die Game 4 with a left ankle injury. And that’s exactly the kind of bad news Minnesota fans dreaded. 

It has led plenty of journalists to ask the tough question, could this be it for the Lynx? Take WNBA reporter Noa Dalzell, for example, who spelled it out clearly. “The reason that it could be over is because right now their backs are against the wall. They lose one more game and that’s it,” she said. “Collier might be done for the postseason.” Dalzell pointed to how Collier was crying and was struggling to put complete weight on her leg. So, even if it isn’t a broken bone,  it could be a “bad ankle sprain,” she believes.

“So, I would say at this point it looks pretty likely that she might miss some time. And if she misses time, I just don’t know that this team has the firepower to withstand a Mercury team that has come together in the last few weeks here,” the reporter added. She’s right. Sure, the narrative and the chatter after Game 3 turned toward officiating with Reeve and many others insisting it was a foul, not a clean steal.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it was still a phenomenal night for the Mercury. The Phoenix group had already stormed back from a massive deficit to steal Game 2, and Game 3 turned into a battle for the ages. Fifteen lead changes, eight ties, four technical fouls, and even an ejection. Neither side ever grabbed a double-digit lead, and it felt like one of those games where we couldn’t predict the winner till the very last quarter.

Phoenix’s defense showed up big time in the fourth, holding Minnesota to just nine points. And the biggest takeaway was for the first time all season, their Big Three went off together. Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper, and Alyssa Thomas each broke the 20-point mark on the same night, something fans had been waiting to see. The trio combined for 65 points—Sabally leading the way with 23, while Thomas and Copper poured in 21 apiece.

What made it even sweeter was how each had their own clutch stretch, lifting the Mercury when it mattered most. And now, with the momentum on side, Game 4 stays in the Valley. Hence all the odds look like they’re tipping Phoenix’s way. Plus, Minnesota won’t be just without Collier on Sunday.

Coach Reeve’s breakdown costs her suspension

It all started midway through the second quarter when Napheesa Collier got stonewalled by Alyssa Thomas in the post, a play that looked like an obvious foul. But the whistle never came. That frustration boiled over, and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve picked up her first technical. Fast forward to the final 23 seconds. Phoenix was clinging to a four-point lead when Thomas stripped Collier again. That was the breaking point. Reeve stormed onto the court mid-play, unleashing a fiery tirade at the officials. The eruption earned her a second technical, and an automatic ejection. Even a Lynx assistant coach got slapped with a technical during the heated sequence.

After getting into a fiery exchange with Mercury fans, she also skipped the usual Q&A after the game, Reeve instead spoke for just two minutes in the post-game conference, and she didn’t hold back.  She demanded leadership changes at the league level, blasted the officiating crew with profanities, and pointed to one stat that had her fuming: Collier played 37 minutes without attempting a single free throw. “The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy, is fu—g malpractice,” she said.

The league wasted no time responding. Reeve was suspended one game for her behavior and her scathing postgame comments. That means she’ll serve her suspension in Sunday’s must-win Game 4, where the Lynx face elimination. Assistant coach Rebekkah Brunson was fined for taking her frustration online, posting on X, “Yeah, this happened! Take out one of the best players in the league because you have no control of the game!” 

One night unraveled into total chaos for Minnesota, losing their head coach, dealing with fines, and playing without their star forward in a win or go home game. Still, all hope isn’t lost. Don’t forget, Collier already missed more than three weeks this season with a right ankle injury, and the Lynx managed to go 5-2 without her.

And now, to keep their title dreams alive, Minnesota will have to find a way without both their leader on the floor and their coach on the sideline.