WNBA must take Cheryl Reeve's officiating criticism seriously

That sequence drew Reeve's ire afterward, as did the fact that Collier didn't attempt a free throw on 15 shot attempts.

Cheryl Reeve had sharp criticism for the officials after the game

"One of the best players in the league, she had zero free throws and five fouls," Reeve said, via ESPN's Kendra Andrews. "She had her shoulder pulled out and finished the game with her leg being taken out."

Reeve pointedly called out the officials from Friday's game — Isaac Barnett, Randy Richardson and Jenna Reneau — in her sharpest remarks.

"If this is what the league wants ... I want to call for a change of leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. The officiating crew we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinal-playoff worthy, it's f---ing malpractice," Reeve added.

Cheryl Reeve's words should be taken to heart

It would be unfair — and inaccurate — to dismiss Reeve's comments as simply those made by a coach upset over a tough loss that put her team on the brink of elimination. As Andrews noted, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon was also recently critical of officiating, arguing the contact referees permit to be excessive.

Andrews also pointed to comments Reeve made before Game 3 that were unfortunately prophetic, when the 16-year Lynx coach said, "We've talked about how dangerous it can be. ... When you let the physicality happen, people get hurt."

From a marketability and reach perspective, the WNBA has never been in a stronger place. But the league's continued poor officiating, if remained unaddressed, could threaten the league's growth. As much as the league might not approve of what Reeve had to say following Friday's loss, it should be even more upset with its officials.