The Minnesota Lynx Are Now 1 Win Away From A Playoff Berth After Defeating Atlanta (91-85)

The Minnesota Lynx Are Now 1 Win Away From A Playoff Berth After Defeating Atlanta (91-85)

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by | Sep 1, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx came into this game against the ATL after their loss on Tuesday in Washington DC looking for a win. Coming back home to a loud Target Center that was ready to cheer them on as they’re only 2 games away from the playoffs.

This game between the Lynx and Atlanta Dream was a defensive slugfest. Both teams didn’t want to give up anything to the opposing team and the stars showed up tonight. The Lynx were able to set the tone early in this game as Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier came out tonight on a mission. This Lynx team moves to the beat of their veterans drums and tonight it was on full display. Napheesa Collier finished the game with 27 points, 17 rebounds and 3 assists. It was a playoff like atmosphere and the All Star put on a show.

Collier was battling in the paint all night just getting to the boards being aggressive. The help side defense tonight was amazing and that showed with Collier’s 4 blocked shots. When this team locks in and defends they’re tough to beat as you can see tonight. Atlanta was trying to be physical but the Lynx had other plans. Kayla McBride helped out as well adding 20 points on the night including the huge layup to send the game to overtime. When Phee and KMac have it going this Lynx team is going to be tough to beat. Dorka Juhász had a huge night as she finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. She’s been making history all season long as a rookie and Dorka has shown up when her number has been called for this Lynx team.

Dorka has stepped her game up and she can put the ball on the floor while still being able to defend at a high level. The Lynx were challenged tonight in the paint and were able to answer by out rebounding the Dream. This was a collective effort as the Lynx locked in defensively late in this game making it tough for Atlanta to even score late in the game and overtime. It was an overall effort as Tiffany Mitchell made some huge plays for them and even Bridget Carleton. This team is clicking on all cylinders at the right time and will need this same energy against the Mercury.

The Atlanta Dream were physical with the Lynx all night long. It started with Allisha Gray as she was able to disrupt the Lynx with her hustle/defense. Cheyenne Parker was a force inside tonight finished with 20 points but the Lynx overall interior defense held up when it mattered the most.

The Lynx will be playing against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday with 1 win holding them back from the WNBA playoffs.

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Sep 1, 2023 No Comments
Breanna Stewart’s 38 Point Performance Propels The Liberty Over Minnesota (111-76)

Breanna Stewart’s 38 Point Performance Propels The Liberty Over Minnesota (111-76)

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by | Aug 26, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx came into this game off their back to back wins against the Wings. Tonight they were going to have to deal with Breanna Stewart and company all night.

The Liberty came into Minnesota on a mission and Breanna Stewart put on one of the best individual performances of the season. Stewart was hitting everything she put up it looked like and she was able to get aggressive on the rebounds too. One thing about Breanna Stewart is when she has her game going there’s nothing that can be done because she has the length and IQ to beat her defenders. Stewart set the tone for the Liberty tonight finishing with 38 and 11 rebounds. The Liberty took advantage of the Lynx 13 turnovers tonight. This Liberty team is now 27-7 for a reason on the season and showed that they’re ready for the postseason especially coming off the Commissioners Cup.

The Liberty had 4 scorers in double figures tonight and surprisingly Jonquel Jones wasn’t one of them. The other players around her made up for the most of the scoring/rebounding tonight.

On the Minnesota Lynx side of things it was good to see Diamond Miller get back into a groove offensively. She was able to hit some 3 pointers and get that confidence going heading into the next game against Washington. The Lynx weren’t able to slow down Stewart but this was a game they needed because it’s not always going to be easy in the W. The only scorers in double figures for the Lynx were Miller and Collier. The Lynx had too many turnovers in this game and you can’t win like that at all. Diamond Miller finished with 18 and 9 rebounds on the night but look for this Lynx team to bounce back in a major way against the Mystics next.

Aug 26, 2023 No Comments
Minnesota Lynx Grind Out The Victory Against Dallas Wings (91-86)

Minnesota Lynx Grind Out The Victory Against Dallas Wings (91-86)

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by | Aug 22, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx came into this game after the loss to Seattle ready to get back in the win column. It started with effort and energy tonight as the Lynx showed up ready to protect their house against a great Dallas team.

Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride put the team on their backs tonight. It started with Napheesa Collier as she was able to get to her spots whenever she wanted. Napheesa was able to make her jumpers, layups, and she got to the line all night. Collier came out and set the tone with her energy/gameplay. Collier finished the game with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kayla was able to hit her shots as well and the great thing is that the defense brought out the offense. Kayla has been able to defend at a high level and she was able to slow down Arike tonight. McBride was able to get to her spots while being able to get teammates involved. The Minnesota Lynx are 5-0 when both Collier/McBride score over 20 points. Tonight McBride finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Dallas didn’t get the win but Satou Sabally showed all of her skills tonight from the jump. She was making it tough on the Lynx whether it was her scoring, rebounding, and passing. Satou was able to do it all but things got chippy when she got flagrant fouled twice which caused her to get injured. Satou wasn’t able to finish the game and as she exited fans were cheering which was completely distasteful. Satou blew kisses to the crowd and a couple of fans got tossed as well for being disrespectful. Satou finished the game with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists. Arike was able to carry the load late when the Satou was out of the game and hit some incredible jumpers. Arike was able to put the Wings on her back to bring the game within 1 at one point in the final minute. Arike finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Overall the Wings out rebounded the Lynx and had more 2nd chance points but just couldn’t get it down late against Minnesota.

Both teams will be going at it again on Thursday except it will be in Dallas. As both teams gave it their all in the best game of the season I’ve seen by far from Minnesota.

 

 

Photo Credit:(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Aug 22, 2023 No Comments
Jewell Loyd Showcased Her Mamba Mentality As She Helped The Storm Defeat Minnesota (88-74)

Jewell Loyd Showcased Her Mamba Mentality As She Helped The Storm Defeat Minnesota (88-74)

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by | Aug 20, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx were coming off a great victory against the Seattle Storm the other night. The Lynx wanted to repeat that same outcome tonight as the Storm made their way to Minnesota now. The Storm came out motivated and energetic this game as they showed they wanted it more.

Jewell Loyd came to Minnesota to win the game and she played like that the whole night. It seemed as if every time the Lynx made a shot or made a great play that Loyd came back on the other end with a tough fadeaway or a tough contested jumper. The way that Jewell was able to create space with her step back was on full display as it didn’t matter who was on her tonight. Jewell finished with 31 points on the night with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. When Jewell plays like she did tonight it is tough to beat the storm. The Storm showed a lot of energy and fight in this game from the beginning and it really showed in the 2nd chance points as they had 20 tonight. It comes down to just wanting it more and those hustle plays and loose balls matter especially in a game that was close for most of that 1st half. The bigs on the Storm Ezi and Mercedes created more opportunities for the Storm in the paint but the Lynx couldn’t match their energy tonight.

The Minnesota Lynx came out flat in this game as the intensity and energy wasn’t there on both ends tonight for a consistent period of time. The Lynx needed to be balanced and tonight it was tough for them to get going overall. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t any positives because Kayla McBride was able to shine bright tonight with 18 points. What Kayla does for this team every night is amazing because she’s defending the best player (Jewell Loyd) but she’s still able to get her offense going as well for her team. Kayla’s one of the best players in the league and she let it be known that she loves the challenge of guarding a player like Loyd every night.

 

The Lynx offense tonight was flat but it’s just minor and it can be fixed the one thing that coach stressed was energy. So if they can come out clicking on all cylinders on Tuesday it should go their way. Diamond and Napheesa didn’t have their best games tonight but look for them to bounce back in the game on Tuesday against the Dallas Wings.

Aug 20, 2023 No Comments
Indiana Fever’s Impressive Paint Play Helped Them Defeat The Minnesota Lynx (91-73)

Indiana Fever’s Impressive Paint Play Helped Them Defeat The Minnesota Lynx (91-73)

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by | Aug 10, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx left Chicago with a win and wanted to continue that winning play against the Fever in Indiana. Tonight the Lynx were able to get Dorka Juhasz back in the lineup which is a huge help. The Lynx quickly ran into a situation where the Fever were just capitalizing off of every mistake and made them pay in the paint. Overall the Indiana Fever had 5 players that were in double figures for the game (Boston, Mitchell, Wheeler, Wallace, and Smith). The Fever came with a well balanced attack but it was led by the paint play of Aliyah Boston who was able to establish her presence in the paint with 13 rebounds. Boston showcased her complete game tonight as she was able to block 3 shots to add to that as well. The Fever outrebounded the Lynx 39-26 on the night and when you can’t rebound that’s not a good sign for success. Kelsey Mitchell was on one tonight as she finished with 24 points but it seemed like every time the Lynx were getting closer and closer Mitchell hit a big shot. When Mitchell has her game going and Boston has her game going it’s tough to beat this Fever team especially when they have confidence like this at a high level. The points in the paint differential was the huge piece in this game (34-18) and it proved to impact the game in a major way. The Fever just played like they wanted it tonight but that doesn’t mean that they’re the better team. The Lynx have proven time and time again that they have what it takes to compete and win so this game was just an off night.

 

In positive news for the Minnesota Lynx it was good to get Rachel Banham back in the mix. She was able to come off the bench and give the team a spark instantly. On the night Rachel finished with a team high of 18 points and she was able to showcase her elite shooting ability. The Lynx didn’t have it going tonight as a whole but they continue to bounce back. Napheesa Collier and Lindsay Allen were both in foul trouble and the Fever made the most of that moment. The easy thing to say is that it’s the next person up but tonight the energy just didn’t match what the Lynx needed to win. The Lynx had 4 players in double figures but they just weren’t able to establish themselves in the paint after Jessica Shepard’s great first half of scoring. This team is elite and great teams make some hiccups against teams that have lower records. The Lynx don’t play until Friday and will have some time to sit on this loss. The Lynx will be heading to Seattle to face Jewel Lloyd and the Storm as they look to get back into the win column like we all expect them to do.

 

 

Photo Credit:  (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Aug 10, 2023 No Comments
The New York Liberty’s 2nd Chance Points Help Them Defeat Minnesota (76-66)

The New York Liberty’s 2nd Chance Points Help Them Defeat Minnesota (76-66)

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by | Aug 4, 2023 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx came into this game wanting to get back into the win column at home vs New York. The Lynx would have a great chance at that knowing they had Napheesa Collier back in the lineup.

The Lynx were able to set the tone in this one early as Napheesa Collier was back on the floor like nothing happened. Collier was hitting her mid range jumper and was able to get to the rim whenever she needed. One thing that really helped the Lynx very early in this game was the ball movement. When the Lynx get the ball in their passing lanes and back cuts it makes everything easier. Lindsay Allen was one of those players that was able to make a huge impact passing as she finished with 10 assists. Allen knows where Collier/Miller/McBride want the ball at and it showed tonight. McBride and Collier led the way in scoring as the Lynx looked to be in a great position in that 3rd quarter.

The Lynx made some great strides as a team in the game but it was tough without Dorka Juhasz in the lineup and Jones on the boards as much as she was tonight. The Lynx will use this game as a lesson and learn from this as they don’t look to be beat in the boards or 2nd chance points this much.

 

The 3rd quarter was the start of the Sabrina Ionescu Show as she was able to score 9 points in that 3rd. Sabrina made the Lynx pay on the second chance baskets and she was able to knock some crucial 3 pointers down. The Lynx started the 4th off in trouble as they fouled the Liberty so much they were in the penalty with 7:45 left in the quarter. The Liberty finished with 4 players in double figures (Stewart, Jones, Laney, and Ionescu). Jones made it tough for the Lynx all night as she finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds. The Lynx allowed 25 2nd chance points to the Liberty as they were too much on the block down the stretch.

The Lynx will be looking to rebound from this game on Tuesday as they play the Chicago Sky. Look for Napheesa Collier to showout in this game as she was held scoreless in the 4th quarter. The Lynx have been on a mission as of late and the chemistry looks amazing these days. As a Lynx fan it’s a good thing knowing that when this team is fully healthy they’re going to be a tough out for anyone in the playoffs.

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Aug 4, 2023 No Comments