Minnesota Lynx ride momentum, anticipation into first-round playoff matchup with Phoenix Mercury

It is officially fall, but it’s also playoff season in Minnesota, and a heightened level of anticipation and opportunity is in the air. The Lynx are the No. 2 seed, and they will begin their title chase at home on Sunday at 4 p.m. Central time.

“Right now, our mindset is that if we win our home games, we can be in the WNBA Finals,” head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve told reporters after practice on Saturday.

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It’s been a while since the Lynx have gotten to start the playoffs on their home floor in front of a packed Target Center. Playing as the No. 6 seed last season, the Lynx forced a decisive Game 3 in Minneapolis after splitting with the heavily favored Sun in Connecticut, but they ultimately fell short of the series upset.

In 2021, a first-round bye gave the Lynx the chance to host the Chicago Sky in a win-or-go-home second-round matchup, but COVID-19 restrictions limited attendance to 5,000 and the Sky won the game 89-76 en route to their first WNBA championship. 

The Lynx’s impressive run to the semifinals in 2020 was in the bubble in Florida. And both the 2019 and 2018 playoff campaigns were one-and-done on the road in Seattle and Los Angeles, respectively, under a previous playoff format. 

It’s not hyperbole to say it hasn’t felt like this since the last banner season for the Lynx. It won’t be easy for them to get back to the Finals for the first time since then. But the path to that special place being paved with home games is encouraging for a team that has been especially good at home this year. 

“It feels different. It feels like we can win this year,” Lynx co-captain, MVP candidate and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Napheesa Collier said after Saturday’s practice. “You always try to win, of course, every year, but this year it feels like if we do what we’re supposed to do, we should win. That’s an amazing feeling.

“You can’t take anything for granted. Everyone is so, so good, but we have a real chance of going all the way this year.”

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Of the Lynx’s four home losses, Collier was only a full participant in one, an 80-66 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on May 29. Collier had to leave a 78-73 loss to the Sun on July 4 in the third quarter when she reaggravated plantar fasciitis in her left foot; missed an 81-74 loss to the Indiana Fever on July 14 due to the same injury; and sat out a 68-51 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks in the regular-season finale on Sept. 19 because the Lynx already had the No. 2 seed locked up.

When the Lynx have had their whole roster available on their home court, they’ve been difficult to beat. 

“Our fans were a big reason for our success at home, which allowed us to have a really special season,” Reeve said. “To secure a couple rounds of home-court advantage if you can advance, to reward them with that, that’s our thank you to them.” 

Standing in the way of advancement for the Lynx are the Phoenix Mercury, the No. 7 seed. Minnesota went 3-1 against the Mercury in the regular season and won both meetings at Target Center in decisive fashion. Phoenix’s lone win came on an incredible last-second shot by Mercury guard/forward Kahleah Copper at Footprint Center on June 7. 

Copper returned to the Mercury lineup for the season finale after missing three games. But the Mercury will still be shorthanded without forward/guard Rebecca Allen, who had back surgery this week. Allen hasn’t played since July 16, and in her absence, the Mercury haven’t beaten a team that ultimately finished with a winning record since June 18.

Still, the Lynx can’t take anything for granted, especially since Mercury legend Diana Taurasi could be playing in her final postseason and fighting to extend her career.

“It’s all about the details right now. We’re just focused on our first 40 minutes with Phoenix,” Lynx co-captain and WNBA All-Star Kayla McBride said on Saturday. “We’re excited. We’ve worked really hard to get to this point. We want to enjoy it in front of our home fans. It’s going to be great energy, but we just want to come out and be the same team we’ve been all season long.”

Related reading: Lynx shooting partners Bridget Carleton and Kayla McBride ride historic seasons into playoffs

Aside from the regular-season finale, when the Lynx rested Collier, McBride and forward Dorka Juhász with the team’s playoff fate determined, the Lynx had a phenomenal final week of the regular season. In one of the most challenging road trips possible, the Lynx went 2-0 against the New York Liberty and the Sun to add wins against the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds to their resume. 

The win in Connecticut especially felt like a game with playoff intensity, and it gave the Lynx their first win against the Sun since the first round of the 2023 playoffs. 

“It was stressful. I feel like we had four game-winners between the two sides in the last 14 seconds,” Collier said after Bridget Carleton’s deep 3-pointer sealed the win. “I feel like it was the epitome of what sports is, just so much joy. It was so exciting. It was a really deep shot, so it was really fun.”

The matchup with Phoenix pits the Lynx against the opponent they averaged the most 3-pointers and rebounds against during the regular season. For the Lynx to advance to the next round, the recipe is relatively simple. In McBride’s words, they have to “be the same team we’ve been all season long” and defend their home court. 

“We’ve always raved about how great being at home and playing here is in front of our fans,” Collier said. “We take a lot of pride in defending our home court. So like Coach said, if we do that, do what is one of our principles, then we’re going to win.”