🏀 Layup Lines: Mercury, Aces on the brink

Happy Sunday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA. It’s been a crazy weekend even without factoring in today’s two playoff games — buckle up.

This 494 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

🤬 Reeve’s meltdown

• The Mercury’s 84-76 win on Friday puts them in the driver’s seat to make the Finals for the first time since 2021, but officiating has once again became the dominant conversation of the weekend. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve went ballistic on the refs following a no-call on Napheesa Collier that left the star forward crumpled on the ground and was later suspended for Game 4 (Collier is also out).

  • The postgame quote from Reeve is about as hard as you’ll ever hear a coach attack a league. Per Yahoo: “I want to call for a change in leadership at the league level when it comes to officiating. It's bad for the game. The officiating crew that we had for tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff-worthy is fucking malpractice.”

  • Phoenix is a physical enough team that Minnesota shooting just 11 free throws (and 0 for Collier) shouldn’t happen — but the macro take here is that the league has to use the new CBA to invest more in officials. It’s officially time to change this system. We’re on two straight years of the dominant postseason conversation being about refs and that’s good for nobody.

• In Friday’s earlier game, the Aces got 25 points from Jackie Young and held the Fever to 36% shooting in a 84-72 win. Las Vegas being up 2-1 in a series that A’ja Wilson isn’t playing that well in (18 points per game, just 37% shooting) is a promising sign for this team winning its 3rd championship in four years.

• We went 1-1 on picks by hitting another Fever/Aces under and then once again underestimating the Mercury.

📺 Today’s games

• I’m fascinated to see how Minnesota responds to being down Reeve, Collier and Dijonai Carrington. While the Lynx still have enough talent and infrastructure to win, it’s been an emotional weekend for the best team in the league. You could talk me into this being the start of the championship DVD or the end of their season.

• I don’t see the Fever just rolling over, but Vegas has been here before and is going to do everything it can to end this series and avoid an elimination Game 5.

• For those interested in lines, we’re 7-10 in the playoffs and taking:

  • Vegas / Indiana under 159.5 points scored

  • Minnesota +5.5

🗣 Pic to go

• Here’s hoping we’re talking about something other than the refs tomorrow.

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading and will see you back here tomorrow.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor