Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, a four-time WNBA Coach of the Year and four-time champion, confronted Connecticut Sun players Sunday near the locker room after Game 1 of the teams’ semifinals, league sources said.

Reeve’s altercation with Sun players occurred as they walked to the opponent’s locker room in Minneapolis, with the 2024 Coach and Executive of the Year taking issue with the way Connecticut celebrated its opening victory, the sources said.

They “ran” toward Sun players, as one source informed of the described incident, and arena security had to be involved to defuse the scene.

The WNBA did not respond for comment on the matter. According to two team sources, the league is aware of the incident.

The Athletics also contacted the Lynx and Sun for comment.

Game 1 of the Lynx-Sun series came down to the final possession, with Minnesota star Napheesa Collier missing a potential game-tying 3-pointer with a second left in the game. When it ended, Connecticut star Alyssa Thomas bowed, shouted and marched to her team’s sideline, basking in victory.

Thomas finished one assist short of a triple-double, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in Connecticut’s victory.

“We had to be disruptive,” Connecticut coach Stephanie White said after Game 1. “We had to try to force them into awkward shots and understand that they were going to make awkward shots, and when they did, we didn’t let them. that bring us down.”

Through two games, the series saw plenty of tension between the two teams, with the regular season encounters decided by a combined score of four points. At one point in the second game, Sun guard Marina Mabrey collided with Lynx guard Bridget Carleton early in the second quarter, drawing a foul, sticking her foot out to trip Carleton.

Later in the second quarter, Mabrey dove for a loose ball and landed on top of Collier, who pushed Mabrey away. Lynx forward Myisha Hines-Allen then stepped in for Collier and pushed Mabrey aside. Minnesota guard Kayla McBride later drew a technical foul in Game 2 after challenging Mabrey following a made basket.

“We had an aggression about us that was needed,” Reeve said after Minensota’s 77-70 Game 2 victory. “When you play against these guys you have to be physically and mentally strong, because they certainly are.”

Game 3 started at 7:30 PM ET on Friday in Connecticut with the score tied at 1-1.

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(Photo: David Berding/Getty Images)