Lynx 88, Sun 77: The Chase for Number Five is Still Alive

Clutch performances from Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams send the Minnesota Lynx to the WNBA Finals. They combined for 51 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks.

Game 5. Winner-take-all.

Everything was on the line for both teams as one was going to advance to compete for a championship. The nerves and excitement were palpable for this one as the Minnesota Lynx had the home-court advantage over the Connecticut Sun to try to close the series out. The New York Liberty awaited the winner for the WNBA championship.

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images

This is what everyone plays the game for.

It was a tentative start to the first quarter as is typical in elimination games. Neither team wanted to make a mistake which caused a bit of a lull before things got into a rhythm. It was a tight matchup early on with a slight advantage halfway through the quarter in Minnesota’s favor. Courtney Williams had five early points while Napheesa Collier dominated the offensive glass with three rebounds off misses.

This is when the Kayla McBride barrage began.

An 21-5 extended Lynx run over the middling minutes of the first. McBride scored eight points over two minutes of game time during this stretch. This opened up an 11-point advantage for the Lynx with 2:40 left in the quarter. An even rest of the first quarter allowed the Lynx to keep the advantage 31-18 after the first period. McBride led the way with 10 points while Williams had nine points on a perfect 4/4 shooting.

Natisha Hiedeman started the 2nd quarter with five points, allowing the Lynx to extend their lead up to 17. Minnesota played stifling defense to force the Sun into bad shots and turnovers, resulting in a huge 20-point advantage with 3:06 left in the half. Connecticut responded with a couple three pointers of their own to cut the lead down to 14. Out of a timeout, Williams and Collier scored cold-blooded back-to-back and-1s to push the lead back to 21. Williams and the Lynx finished the quarter strong, going a perfect 6/6 from the field for 15 points. Minnesota led 53-34 as they hit the break.

A couple Dijonai Carrington steals and buckets helped the Sun start the second half strong, cutting the lead down to 14. Meanwhile, Minnesota turned the ball over three times to start the quarter and with 7:22 left, the Sun had the lead all the way down to 12. It was a scoreless first four minutes of the third quarter until an Alanna Smith three and Williams steal and lay-in helped the Lynx wake up from their slumber that was reminiscent of a dubious game four. That sparked a 9-0 run, pushing the lead back up over 20. The Lynx held strong after wavering early in the quarter and held a 65-48 lead. It was another 20 point, 10 rebound game for Collier as she continued to put the team on her back.

There was one quarter left to go with a trip to the Finals on the line. All the Lynx had to do was maintain their 17-point lead. Williams and Collier continued scoring buckets to help to maintain the lead deep into the final period. The Sun tried to crawl their way back into the game with some desperation threes, but the Lynx would not let it happen. They matched Connecticut’s scoring in the quarter and stamped their ticket to the 2024 WNBA Finals.

Key Takeaways

Courtney Williams Perfection

When the Lynx signed Courtney Williams this last offseason, they challenged her to be their closer. When their backs were against the wall and they needed someone to come through, they turn to her. They wanted her to change her position, run the offense, and be the same mid-range isolation scorer that she had been her whole career. Tonight was a culmination of all of that work she put in and what will still be required of her if the Lynx want to win their 5th championship in franchise history. From the jump, Williams was ready for the moment. She scored 24 points, dished out 7 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds all while being perfect from the field in the first half. Her dominance and ability to set her teammates up made it near impossible that Connecticut would be able to overcome the tsunami that was the Lynx in this Game 5. Courtney Williams is primetime, and she proved that tonight.

Superstar and MVPhee

One of the main factors in a playoff series is who has the best player. Without question, that was Napheesa Collier in this one. She is taking the Lynx on a ride that few thought they were capable of, and smiling while doing it. She scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots in the clutch performance that sunk the Sun’s chances to go to the Finals. The Uber-efficient, incredibly skilled captain is lifting Minnesota up, and bringing them ever closer to a championship, and enjoying every moment in the process. Take us there #24.

Lynx Playing Desperate

From the jump, you could tell who had the energy tonight. The Lynx came out with tenacity and ambushed the Sun as they floundered through the start of the game. Minnesota made every shot difficult for Connecticut while working to get easy buckets offensively. The Lynx played in controlled desperation, the Sun played like it was a random regular-season game in mid-June. The team that came in prepared and met the moment at its apex to come out with the win and will continue on to compete for the highest honor in team sports. No matter what happens, you know the Lynx will bring it.

Up Next

The Lynx take the series 3-2 and will travel to face the New York Liberty on Thursday, October 10th at 7PM CT. Game 1 of the WNBA Finals will be televised on ESPN. This five-game series will determine who is crowned the 2024 WNBA champion.