Minneapolis (AP) – The Lynx of Minnesota remained in control in the last minute of the regulation despite the disappearance of an advance of 20 points, after having built their advantage up to five after the Phoenix Mercury equaled the match.
The lynx always leading by three points after the withdrawal of Sutou Sabally for Mercury, after having survived the previous collapse on their floor at home and looking at a fence of Match 2 of the Semi-final series With their roaring fans who plan the same thing.
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It turned out that the upper seed of Wgb The playoffs were not finished.
Bridget Carleton took the ball to register it from the key line with 46 seconds playing in the fourth quarter, but the Mercury had its teammates swarm. Like coach Cheryl Reeve shouted for a dead time, the whistle for a 5 -second violation was blown away. Alyssa Thomas reduced the advance to one with a basket in the track with 25 seconds to go, and the Lynx has never completely restored.
“My dead time was too late. British Columbia knows that it can always take a delay,” said Reeve after the defeat of 89-83 in overtime, the series of best five to a match. “We didn’t do it.”
In many ways, really.
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The Lynx team that went 20-2 at home in the regular season and won its first three games in the eliminatory series in the section in an unusual manner under the demanding request, whose defense standard, discipline with the ball and the general harshness contributed to four WNBA championships.
While the Mercury was on a 12-0 race at the end of the third quarter which quickly deflated the advances of 20 aforementioned points, the Lynx committed four reels impregnated in a period of 65 seconds.
“Phoenix did a good job to get out aggressive, but I think we fought,” said star Napheesa necklace.
Reeve said that she had seen a bad body language of “players that we are not used to seeing certain looks” and deplored the lack of agitation and tenacity that could have overcome negligence and finally preserved a victory.
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“Simply play our defense and we make sure that we have no turnover,” said necklace. “I don’t think our defense was the same in the second half as in the first half. We have to start removing things easy, making their shots difficult and taking care of the ball. ”
The Lynx, which was beaten in overtime in the decisive match of the WNBA final last year by the New York Liberty, won its latest title in 2017. The new Core was led by Collier before most of the external expectations last season and resumed where it stopped in 2025 by leading the league with a healthy margin during most of the summer and ending 34-10.
Now they have to play consecutive matches in Phoenix – Match 3 is Friday and match 4 is on Sunday – and win at least once to bring their journey for five to Minnesota.
“It’s a resilient team. It’s a team that responds,” said Reeve. “Obviously, they don’t feel very good at the moment, but they are resolved. No one said it was going to be easy.”
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba
