Minnesota outscored Phoenix 42-22 in the second half and exploded in the fourth quarter to come back and win Game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead.
After taking the opening round of the WNBA Playoffs in impressive comeback fashion, the Minnesota Lynx had a few extra days of rest and were ready to hit the ground running in the semifinals.
The top-seeded Lynx hosted the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the best-of-five series on Sunday at Target Center, with the packed Target Center crowd rocking once again in a back-and-forth battle.
By the end of the contest, Minnesota ended up coming back in the second half — again — and taking care of business behind an 82-69 victory to take a 1-0 series lead in what could be a dogfight of a series.
Fast-Paced First Half
From the opening tip-off, Minnesota and Phoenix went shot-for-shot with a fast-paced opening half that saw plenty of offense on display from both teams.
However, the two squads had very different methods of attack offensively, with the Lynx focusing more outside of the paint and the Mercury controlling things from inside-out.
Minnesota, led by Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams all in double figures in the first half, went into halftime shooting 41 percent from the field, including 6-of-18 from three with 18 points in the paint.
Phoenix, led by Alyssa Thomas with 16 points in the opening half, shot 56.4 percent from the field made just one three in the opening two quarters, owning the paint with 42 of its 47 points coming from in the paint. Phoenix would end up holding a 54-40 advantage in the paint by the end of the game.
As a result, the Mercury carried a 47-40 edge over Minnesota into halftime at Target Center.
Lynx Battle Back
As we’ve seen on numerous occasions, Minnesota fought back out of halftime and evened things out after trailing early. The Lynx outscored the Mercury 19-12 in the third quarter and played solid defense while erasing a seven-point halftime deficit and evening the game at 59-59 entering the fourth and final quarter.
In the final 10 minutes, Minnesota stepped on the gas and pulled away behind a deafening crowd in Minneapolis. The Lynx exploded in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mercury 23-10 in the final frame to pull away and come out victorious.
Williams was the spark plug throughout the game, and especially down the stretch while stepping up on both ends of the floor when her team needed her most. Williams finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals in 33 minutes.
Alongside Williams, Minnesota was led by McBride with 21 points and six rebounds and Collier with 18 points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Carrington Done for the Year
On the eve of Game 1 between Minnesota and Phoenix, the Lynx got some unfortunate news surrounding one of their spark plugs off the bench.
Minnesota announced Saturday that Carrington will not only miss the semifinals series, but the rest of the season with a “significant mid-foot sprain” in her left foot.
That news is a tough blow for the Lynx, who planned to have Carrington and her two-way play being a key piece off the bench throughout the postseason. Instead, Carrington will be cheering on from the bench as Minnesota continues on in its pursuit for a title.
Collier, Hiedeman Finish Second in Awards
On the heels of Alanna Smith earning the WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year award, Napheesa Collier and Natisha Hiedeman finished second in end-of-season awards that they were once considered frontrunners for.
On Sunday, the WNBA announced that Collier finished second in MVP voting, with Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson taking home that honor for the fourth time. Collier received 18 first place votes, with Wilson taking home 51.
The day before, on Saturday, the WNBA announced its annual Sixth Player of the Year award, with Hiedeman also taking second place behind Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon. Hiedeman finished with 22 votes, trailing Hillmon’s 44 votes. Jessica Shepard also received votes for the award, coming in third with four votes.
Series Schedule
Game 1 — Minnesota 82, Phoenix 69
Game 2 (Sept. 23) — Phoenix at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
Game 3 (Sept. 26) — Minnesota at Phoenix, 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2
Game 4* (Sept. 28) — Minnesota at Phoenix, TBD
Game 5* (Sept. 30) — Phoenix at Minnesota, TBD
* if necessary
Category: General Sports
