Napheesa Collier delivered an impressive performance with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots, helping the Minnesota Lynx secure a spot in the WNBA Finals with an 88-77 win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Courtney Williams contributed 24 points, seven assists, and five rebounds for the second-seeded Lynx, who controlled much of the game to clinch the best-of-five series. Kayla McBride also made an impact, scoring 19 points.
For the third-seeded Sun, DiJonai Carrington shone in the second half, scoring all 17 of her points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Brionna Jones added 16 points and 10 rebounds, while DeWanna Bonner contributed 14 points and eight boards, and Tyasha Harris chipped in with 12 points.
Minnesota will face the top-seeded New York Liberty in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday.
Collier, the regular-season MVP runner-up, made history as the first player in WNBA history to record at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive playoff games.
The Lynx shot 49.3 percent from the field, including a 10-of-26 performance from three-point range. In contrast, the Sun managed 38.5 percent shooting overall and were 8-for-23 from beyond the arc.
Connecticut made a late push with two three-pointers from Bonner, narrowing the deficit to 78-65 with 3:40 left. However, McBride responded with a crucial three-pointer a minute later, staving off the Sun’s comeback attempt.
After trailing by 21 late in the first half, Connecticut scored the final two points of the second quarter and the first seven of the third, closing the gap to 53-41 with 7:37 remaining. Minnesota countered with a 12-0 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Alanna Smith and seven consecutive points from Collier, extending the lead to 65-41 with 2:21 left in the third quarter.
The Sun scored the next seven points, entering the final quarter down 65-48. Collier’s three-point play pushed the Lynx lead back to 20 with 8:13 remaining.
Williams finished the night with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting, while McBride added 14 points, and Collier recorded 13 points and seven rebounds, helping Minnesota establish a 53-34 lead at halftime.
McBride also drained two three-pointers in 24 seconds to cap a 23-7 run, giving the Lynx an 11-point lead with 2:42 left in the first quarter, as Minnesota took a 31-18 advantage into the second.
Source: Field Level Media