It’s do or die time for the Lynx. Trailing the Liberty two games to one in the WNBA finals, Minnesota must protect its home field Friday in Game 4 to force a deciding Game 5 in New York. Here are a few things Minnesota needs to accomplish to get there.
-Bunny: Minnesota’s offense will occasionally stagnate during segments of games. This is natural for any team, but the periods can be more important for a team that only has one true go-to scorer in Napheesa Collier.
But when Minnesota generates easy looks for others with its schemes and movement, it needs to convert. This is not the case on Wednesday. The Lynx went a dismal 14-for-40 in the paint in Game 3, with some particularly damaging misses in the fourth quarter. The Liberty are talented enough to reach 80 points, even against Minnesota’s fierce defense. If the Lynx want to keep up, they need to do what’s necessary.
-Alanna Smith: The Lynx center said Thursday that she plans to play Friday despite her back pain. His presence is essential if Minnesota wants to extend the series. Smith is a shooting threat on offense who generates the spacing needed for the Lynx to execute their cuts and drives. Defensively, his versatility allows Minnesota to avoid having to double up against big scorers and expand its defense to pressure New York more than 25 feet from the bucket.
For the series, the Lynx outscored New York by 21 points in Smith’s 81 minutes of action and were outscored by 36 points in his 39 minutes on the bench. It’s difficult to chart Minnesota’s path to victory if Smith doesn’t play and isn’t effective.
-Bench play: Minnesota’s depth was such an asset in the semifinal series against Connecticut. But without Natisha Hiedeman’s role in the Game 1 comeback, the Lynx bench has been largely ineffective in this series.
If the reserves can provide any type of burst, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve may have no choice but to further reduce their minutes, which would not be optimal for the team’s chances. Minnesota to win two games in the next three games in two cities.
