Minnesota Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her ankle and a muscle in her shin. The injury occurred during the collision with Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, a controversial play that has sparked debate around player safety and league accountability issues.

According to ESPN, the injury carries a minimum six-week recovery period, and Collier would not have been able to play in the Finals if the top-seeded Lynx had advanced in the playoffs.

In response to the no-call on the play, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected from Game 3 and was suspended for one game.

With Collier out of the lineup, the Mercury eliminated the Lynx in Game 4 of the series and punched their ticket to the Finals.

After the game, Reeve called for the WNBA to make significant improvements in officiating.

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

During her exit interview, Collier also called the league’s official and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for their “lack of accountability."

Collier noted that "constant concerns about officiating have now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates." She claimed that the WNBA is guilty of "self-sabotage" by not addressing the situation.