Frederick: Lynx must match Phoenix’s physicality, or their season will end

Cheryl Reeve is right about this — the quality of officiating in the WNBA is putrid.

Now, no one believes officiating is good at any level in any sport, particularly when there is a rooting interest involved. But compare the consistency of calls and contact allowed in the WNBA to the NBA and the difference is stark.

In the NBA, oftentimes when you don’t like a call, it’s because you don’t like a rule. In the WNBA, there’s rarely rhyme nor reason for why something was or wasn’t called.

However, that wasn’t the case at the tail end of Game 3 of the Lynx’s Western Conference semifinals in Phoenix. And it’s not why Minnesota is losing this series. While the Napheesa Collier injury was highly unfortunate, there was nothing illegal about the Alyssa Thomas steal. Her swipe of the ball was clea