Sun 92, Lynx 82: Connecticut Storms Back to Force Game 5

One win away from the WNBA Finals, the Minnesota Lynx weren’t able to finish the job in Game 4 on Sunday, falling to the Connecticut Sun to force a winner-take-all Game 5 on Tuesday with a trip to the championship series on the line.

After watching the New York Liberty take their semifinals series against the Las Vegas Aces earlier Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Lynx wanted to do the same on the road in Game 4 of the semifinals against the Connecticut Sun.

With the second-seeded Lynx up 2-1 entering Game 4 and just one win away from claiming the best-of-five semifinals series, Minnesota wasn’t able to replicate the Liberty in ending the series against a tough Connecticut squad.

Thanks to a big second half, the Sun were able to recover and avoid their season come to a close, defending their home court by taking down the Lynx 92-82 in Game 4 to force a winner-take-all Game 5 back in Minneapolis.

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Big Third Quarter Lifts Sun

Minnesota jumped out to a hot start on the road once again on Sunday, leading by as much as 10 points in the opening half despite not playing to the caliber that we’ve seen the Lynx play at throughout the season and postseason.

In the second half, Connecticut battled back, something you expect from a team with its backs against the wall at home in an elimination game. The Sun exploded in the third quarter, erasing the Lynx’s lead while using a 25-13 advantage in the third quarter to lead by as much as five points going into the fourth quarter.

In the final 10 minutes, Connecticut pulled away and Minnesota just wasn’t able to get things going offensively to match the Sun, resulting in Connecticut pulling away en route to victory.

Phee-nomenal Once Again

As we’ve seen throughout the postseason, Napheesa Collier has been outstanding and continued that trend once again in Game 4.

Collier did a little bit of everything for Minnesota, leading all players in Sunday’s contest in both scoring and rebounds while concluding with an impressive double-double of 29 points and 13 rebounds to go along with three assists, one block and one steal over 37 minutes.

With her 25-10 game, Collier has now tallied at least 25 points and 10 boards in two straight games, recording a double-double in three of the four semifinals games against Connecticut.

Collier was phenomenal once again, but she just didn’t get enough around her to lift Minnesota to the Finals.

Depth On Display

One strength for Minnesota has been its impressive depth, with players oftentimes stepping up off the bench when called upon and needed. In Game 4, due to foul trouble in the starting lineup, that depth was tested.

Early in the contest, Courtney Williams was faced with quick fouls early, resulting in her sitting most of the opening half. With Williams on the bench, Natisha Hiedeman stepped up and shined off the bench in the extended time on the court, concluding the game with a postseason.

Williams has been a big key to this series for Minnesota, averaging 16.5 points and 6.0 assists in the two victories for the Lynx. In the two losses, she averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 assists while not looking quiet like herself in each of those contests. Look for Williams and the guard play in general as a key to the Lynx being able to come out on top in Game 5.

On the other end of the court, Connecticut’s depth also helped lead it to victory. With Ty Harris entering the starting lineup in place of Marina Mabrey who came off the bench, Harris led all Sun players in scoring while hurting Minnesota from deep throughout Game 4. Mabrey, off the bench, also reached double figures in scoring and ended as one of five Sun players with a double-digit point total.

Both teams have impressive depth, and that was on display once again in Game 4.

Up Next

With the best-of-five semifinals series now tied up at 2-2, the series shifts back to Minnesota for a winner-take-all Game 5. The game will take place at Target Center on Tuesday, 10/8 at 7PM CT, televised on ESPN2. The winner will advance to play New York in the WNBA Finals.