It seemed likely when the Minnesota Lynx darted to a 17-2 start this season. Now it’s definite. Head coach Cheryl Reeve’s squad will own the top seed in the WNBA playoffs.
Minnesota clinched the W’s best record this season as well as the franchise’s single-season wins record with a 94-70 victory over the recently-surging Connecticut Sun on Saturday, just two days after the Lynx suffered their worst loss of the year.
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The Sun (10-29), still hovering near the bottom of the league standings despite having won five of its previous seven games, went toe-to-toe with the Lynx (31-8) in the first quarter. But a 16-4 Minnesota run in the second frame began to put its 21-point blown lead and 14-point defeat to the Seattle Storm Thursday in the rear view mirror.
Although Connecticut dominated the glass in the opening half — thanks to 11 offensive rebounds — it struggled to capitalize, shooting only 35.9% from the field through the first two quarters. The Sun made just one 3 in that span. Meanwhile, the Lynx entered intermission with seven triples.
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That’s nothing new for Minnesota, which came into Saturday with the league’s best 3-point percentage. Courtney Williams led the way initially with a trio of first-half triples. She wound up with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, masterfully orchestrating offense out of Sun double teams.
But when all was said and done, the league’s seventh all-time-leading 3-point shooter, Kayla McBride, clocked out with a team-high five 3s. Forward Alanna Smith wasn’t far behind with four long-range makes. She tied wing DiJonai Carrington with a game-high 18 points.
WNBA MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier was the fifth Lynx player to pile up at least 15 points Saturday, and she added nine rebounds and three blocks to her stat line.
Minnesota’s 15 3s on the night were tied for its second in a single game this season.
At times, Connecticut took a swing at the Lynx’s double-digit advantage. Minnesota always had an answer, though.
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A 3 from guard Mamignan Touré and a layup from Aaliyah Edwards cut the Sun’s deficit to 11 late in the third quarter. But DiJonai Carrington’s late-shot-clock, high-arcing make from beyond the arc was the first of several counter punches Minnesota threw down the stretch as it gradually built its lead back to 20 points. Then the Lynx polished off a 24-point win.
Minnesota has guaranteed itself home court for at least the first round of what it hopes will be another run to the WNBA Finals.
The Lynx have already one-upped their win total from last year. They’re aiming to one-up last year’s team in the playoffs, too, after falling in the Finals to the New York Liberty.
