It was a battle of physicality between Connecticut and Minnesota in Recreation 2 of their semifinals collection, however the victory got here right down to the little issues. The Lynx evened the collection at 1-1 with a 77-70 win Tuesday night time.
Minnesota received the defensive battle, bought higher bench manufacturing and managed to search out steadiness because the Solar restricted Napheesa Collier.
“It was a collective effort,” coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned. “That’s what we do, and that’s what we noticed tonight.”
Protection
The sport began ugly, with simply 22 collective factors scored within the first quarter. And whereas the remaining three quarters noticed 125 factors placed on the board, it didn’t get a lot prettier. Minnesota and Connecticut are two of the league’s prime defensive groups, however the Lynx had an edge Tuesday. They held Connecticut to 36.4% taking pictures and 25% from past the arc. That was a significant enchancment from Recreation 1, when the Solar made 40.9% of their 3-point makes an attempt to safe a 73-70 victory.
The sport was additionally chippy from the beginning. The physicality lent itself to an emotional affair by which neither crew was afraid of contact or trash discuss. That’s one thing that each groups mentioned they anticipated at this level within the season.
“We needed to match their power,” the Lynx’s Courtney Williams mentioned. “First sport they have been chirping and chatting, so we needed to give it again to them. That’s simply playoff basketball.”
Steadiness
Collier did a number of heavy lifting for Minnesota within the opening spherical, scoring 38 factors in Recreation 1 and 42 factors in Recreation 2. She additionally led the Lynx in scoring within the first sport towards Connecticut with 19 factors. However in Recreation 2 of the semifinals, the Solar restricted Collier’s touches, and she or he didn’t even try a shot within the second quarter. She scored simply 9 factors, her season low, on 14 pictures.
“Phee did every part else. However for no matter cause, she struggled with among the pictures she was getting as we speak,” Reeve mentioned. “It’s a tough sport. It’s bodily exhausting. She is going to get increasingly more snug.”
Collier managed to affect the sport in different methods, with 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, and the remainder of the Lynx picked up their scoring efforts.
Williams led with 17 factors and Alanna Smith added 15. Smith, who struggled taking pictures in Recreation 1, going 0-of-4 from lengthy vary, bounced again Tuesday. She was 6-of-8 taking pictures and 3-of-4 from past the arc.
Kayla McBride added 11 factors, and Bridget Carleton had 9. All 5 Lynx starters made no less than one 3-pointer.
Bench
The Lynx received the bench-points battle, outscoring the Solar 16-4. But it surely wasn’t all about scoring, as Minnesota’s second unit offered power and defensive depth as properly.
Myisha Hines-Allen had 7 factors off the bench, however extra importantly, at 6-foot-1 with a robust body, she was in a position to match Connecticut’s toughness inside.
“She’s a bodily enforcer, however she’s additionally an ideal participant,” Smith mentioned of Hines-Allen. “She’s an ideal passer, she rebounds, she units actually good screens. She does the little issues properly. You possibly can’t sleep on our bench, and she or he is an enormous cause why.”
Cecilia Zandalasini and Natisha Hiedeman additionally performed key minutes off the bench. Zandalasini completed with 5 factors, together with a 3-pointer that helped ignite the Lynx within the first half, and Hiedeman added 4 factors and two assists.
“We knew our bench was going to be essential,” Reeve mentioned. “A crew whose bench exhibits up and contributes is an enormous benefit. And every of the three that performed tonight contributed in quite a lot of methods.”
