And Cheryl Reeve gets targeted, again! The USA head coach has found herself amidst black clouds a lot lately. Whether it was Caitlin Clark’s fans accusing her of snubbing the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer or her team’s loss to Team WNBA in the All-Star game. She successfully proved everyone wrong by winning the showcase game over Germany and the opening game over Japan. Still, the fans were not satisfied. Now, they have rounded up another reason to put her job at risk as USA’s boss.

In today’s game vs Japan, Team USA seemed to have struggled in the first half. While they did get the better of the opponents in every quarter, the numbers did not showcase what really went on the floor. In fact, even till the end, Japan had a better defense and created more space for themselves. Cheryl Reeve’s opponents for the day went 15 of 39 from beyond the arc. This brought them to 38% for the matchup. On the other hand, Team USA did not have the answer to the defending silver medalists as they only connected 4 of 20 threes. Their percentage was merely 20% for the game.

One reason that everyone pointed out was how Cheryl Reeve planned the starters. For the matchup, Team USA was led by A’ja Wilson. Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, and Napheesa Collier also joined her. While this provided a great advantage in the paint which was also visible in the game, it did not help create length. Which in turn allowed the USA to give more points to Japan. Moreover, the bench brought 48 points for the team. While the starters brought a close 54 points. This further hinted that the lineup was not exactly the best one.

Hence, with the entire discussion blowing up the internet, here is what the fans are thinking.

A game of Team USA fans vs Cheryl Reeve

Looking at Cheryl Reeve’s choices for starters, we can deduce why fans do not like her choices. Reeve’s Minnesota Lynx player — Napheesa Collier — has missed multiple last games due to injury. Chelsea Gray, despite doing a great job in passing, has not been able to shoot well since her return from injury. Diana Taurasi, who is going for her final Olympic run, is not a player who could match the pace of Japan’s quick team. On the other hand, many bench players did elevate the team, which the fans now want Cheryl Reeve to bring into the staters.

One of these bench players is the three-point maestro Sabrina Ionescu. While she may have not participated in the WNBA All-Star three-point contest, it is not forgotten that she can perform on the floor. Cheryl Reeve sent the New York Liberty star from the bench for a total of 19+ minutes. With that, she brought 11 points by going 3 of 7 from beyond the arc and 4 of 8 from the field.

She also added to the team’s total with 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Hence, fans wanted to see the first-time Olympian as a starter. While one criticized Cheryl Reeve, another mentioned how the Aces head coach Becky Hammon would have preferred creating length.

“Sabrina should be starting on this team. 3rd string is such a joke…but expect nothing less from Cheryl Reeve.”

“Cheryl Reeve knows she has Sabrina Ionescu on the team right?? Becky Hammon should’ve been the coach smh #USABWNT”

While Diana Taurasi set a record as the oldest basketball player to play in six Olympic events, not many are fans of her performance this season. Adding her to the starters only added to the frustration of the loyalists. The WNBA legend played about 15 minutes vs Japan and only added 2 points for the team. With the bench performing much better, the fans do not like how the veteran did or the choice of the head coach.

“Diana Taurasi starting?!? Cheryl Reeve is tripping”

Another pain point for the USA basketball fans was adding Napheesa Collier to the starting mix. A fan mentioned how she had not played for three weeks in the WNBA but somehow became a starter in the Olympics. The follower also mentioned how she was not playing at her natural fourth position on the floor. However, we do not know what they meant when they said that they understood what Cheryl Reeve did there. Probably the Lynx head coach is preferring her player over the others. Nevertheless, it is certain that the national duty comes above personal reasons.

“Collier haven’t played a WNBA games in 3 weeks because an injury came back for the Olympics and somehow a starter ? She not even playing her true position. CHERYL REEVE I see what you’re doing !! #USABWNT”

A basketball enthusiast also suggested that the head coach should be putting the Gold Mamba Jewell Loyd in starters. Indeed, the guard has proven her potential in clutch situations like winning over the Indiana Fever with a season-high 34 points.

“Cheryl Reeve got Collier starting and I’m just tryna understand why. Baby this ain’t Minnesota, put Jewel out there tf”

Certainly, passion can sometimes get the better of us. In sports, it is only more common. We can see why everyone is opposing Cheryl Reeve in her choices but as a seasoned Team USA member and 3x WNBA Coach of the Year, she would understand her duty. At the end of the day, we did win. Potentially, we will see some other players in the lineup as USA takes on Belgium.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.