It was brought to the attention of Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve after Minnesota’s Game 1 loss to Connecticut that the Lynx held the Connecticut Sun to 7 for 20 shooting in the final quarter.
Usually this will produce wins, but not on Sunday.
“We only scored eight (points),” Reeve noted of the Lynx’s fourth-quarter performance, before letting out a laugh.
There wasn’t much else to do at that point except laugh. Minnesota’s offense has been humming for much of the season. That was especially true after the Olympic break, and the success on that side continued throughout the team’s first-round series sweep of Phoenix.
But he failed to show up in key moments in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinal series against the Sun.
Frankly, it was more of the same when the Lynx played the Sun in the regular season.
The Lynx’s offensive rating was just 96.3 points per 100 possessions in games against Connecticut. That number would have ranked last in the league in a 40-game sample and represented a steep decline from the team’s actual offensive rating of 102.8 that ranked fourth in the WNBA.
Does something huge need to change going forward in the series for the Lynx to score against the Sun? No such panic is felt in the locker room. Reeve felt Minnesota had open shots in the first game that just didn’t fall. Particularly from Alanna Smith, who went 0 for 4 in the first quarter, and Courtney Williams, who went 0 for 4 in the fourth.
“Lan made some shots, especially early in the game, we all take them,” Reeve said. “Courtney has to be able to score for us. And a lot of her shot attempts are ones that we see fail, and she couldn’t find the bottom for us tonight.
This series pits the two best defenses in the WNBA against each other, so Sunday’s opener was true to form. Minnesota was once again excellent on that side of the ball. But the offense put immense pressure on the defense to be perfect. Even the touches that Napheesa Collier, one of the best players in the world, got Sunday weren’t as productive as they typically are against Connecticut’s shift-heavy approach. Reeve noted that the Lynx would be happy to “keep rocking” with the look they got.
“I think we’ll all play better on Tuesday (in Game 2), but keep changing,” Reeve said. “We’re good with that.”
That seems to be the plan for the Lynx in general: generate the same types of looks they had on Sunday. If that happens, “I think we’ll like the outcome a little better,” Reeve said.
Because they trust the law of averages that players like Smith and Williams, key parts of the Lynx’s remarkable success throughout the season, will play and produce the same way they produced all season. season.
“Lan will bounce back. Positionally, being offended by Lan will be really, really good,” Reeve said. “I know Court wants to deliver for us, and we will continue to work to find his opportunities.”
It’s all part of the process, Reeve noted to his team after the game. The further into the playoffs you get, the tougher things get. Lynx are great, just like the Sun.
“And now there are two teams going back and forth, you’re not going to get anything easy,” Reeve said. “And now it’s just about the players finding a way to play.” This is an area in which we must ensure we excel. Courtney is a player who can do that for us.
Smith too. And Necklace. Even McBride, who can make a few more 3-point attempts. That’s what’s encouraging for the Lynx: There are plenty of opportunities to improve their offensive performance Tuesday at Target Center.
“It’s a long streak for a reason, so it’s all good,” Lynx winger Bridget Carleton said. “We have all the faith in the world that we will do better Tuesday night and hopefully get a win.”
