On Thursday night at Target Center, the Minnesota Lynx took to the floor against the Seattle Storm with a chance to clinch homecourt and the number one seed for the WNBA playoffs.
The game started fantastically for the Lynx. After Seattle took an early 4-3 lead, Minnesota went on a 22-8 run to close the first quarter to take a 13-point lead. It was the type of play the Lynx have showcased all year, including stifling defense along with equal parts scoring from Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams.
The Lynx built their lead to as many as 21 points midway through the second quarter. The Storm did start to get themselves back into the game, cutting the lead to 11 before a Collier cutting layup assisted by Williams put the Minnesota lead back at 13 right before halftime.
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While the Lynx largely dominated the first half, the second half would not be as kind to the Lynx, as they played one of their worst halves of basketball of their entire season.
Both sides of the ball were issues in the second half for the Lynx. The offense scored just 33 points while shooting 36 percent from the field. The defense wasn’t any better, allowing the Storm to score 60 second-half points on 57 percent shooting while forcing only three turnovers.
The largest difference between the two teams in the second half was their 3-point shooting. The Lynx missed 10 of their 12 second-half 3-point attempts, while the Storm went 11-19.
The Lynx lost by a final score of 93-79, turning what was a 21-point lead into a 14-point loss. The trio of Collier, McBride, and Williams combined for 56 points. Phee had an unusually inefficient game, going 7-23 from the field while turning the ball over three times.
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It was a rare, putrid performance for the Lynx in a season that has been spectacular pretty much from start to finish. The silver lining is that the winning the Lynx did earlier in the season insulates them from a performance like this doing any real damage, as the Lynx just need to win one of their final six games to clinch the one-seed for the WNBA playoffs.
Up Next
The Lynx have another chance to clinch the number one seed on Saturday, August 30, on the road against the 10-28 Connecticut Sun. The game begins at 6:00 PM CT. Fans can watch the game locally on FanDuel Sports Network and nationally on NBA TV.
