By ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx are three wins from a fifth championship, chasing a league record with an entirely different core from the previous dynasty.
Napheesa Collier is fully in charge of this group.
Collier had 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting and 11 rebounds and Courtney Williams contributed 24 points and both-ends-of-the-court energy to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the Connecticut Sun, 88-77, and into the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years on Tuesday night, Oct. 8.
Collier, the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, added four blocks in a vintage all-around performance.
“She’s improved every season. She’s just been incredible. Every game, it’s more than scoring how she helps our team,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “When she plays like the MVP, we’re tough to beat.”
As soon as the final buzzer sounded, with the arena roaring, Collier headed over to Lindsay Whalen’s courtside seat and hugged the Hall of Famer and former Lynx star, who was the point guard on the first four championship teams.
“I definitely want to do her proud,” Collier said.
Kayla McBride had 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter for the Lynx, who advanced to face the top-seeded New York Liberty in Game 1 on Thursday night. The best-of-five series continues with Game 2 in New York on Sunday afternoon, before Minnesota hosts Game 3 on Oct. 16.
The Lynx, who finished second in the league and two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, have won three of four matchups with New York this year. That includes the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup on June 25 to take the in-season tournament title.
DiJonai Carrington had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Brionna Jones had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun, who shot only 38.5% from the floor (25 for 65) and were flustered into 19 turnovers that the Lynx converted into 22 points.
“They just kind of punched us in the face, and we got shellshocked and then we couldn’t fight back,” said DeWanna Bonner, who had 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
The Sun were ousted in the semifinals for the fourth time in six years. They lost in the finals in those other two seasons, 2019 and 2022, when Williams was part of the core that still hasn’t cleared that last hurdle to the franchise’s first title.
Williams, who’s in her first year with Minnesota, was on a mission to make it there from the tip. The fiery ninth-year point guard was the catalyst on both ends of the floor, attacking the basket, pushing the pace on the break and pestering the Connecticut ball-handlers. Williams had her most points in a playoff game since 2019 and added seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.
She was 6 for 6 in the first half.
“When you start a game like that, you kind of know the hoop’s feeling big, you’ve got the super green light,” Williams said. “I think that’s the confidence that Cheryl gives us.”
The Lynx built a lead as large as 21 points in the second quarter, six more than their biggest of any of the first four games. They had a sluggish start to the second half that was muted by the Sun’s cold shooting, before Alanna Smith swished a 3-pointer to end a 4:22 scoreless skid.
Then Williams swiped the ball away from Bonner as she drove to the basket and sped the other way for a layup and a 58-41 lead. Collier drained a 3-pointer to cap that 12-0 run.
Connecticut eliminated Minnesota here in the decisive Game 3 of the first round last season. Since winning Game 5 of the WNBA Finals in 2017 for their fourth championship in seven years, the Lynx were just 1-4 in winner-take-all games in the playoffs.
The atmosphere at Target Center matched the moment, with a raucous crowd that included Whalen, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and two members of the state’s congressional delegation, Rep. Angie Craig and Sen. Tina Smith.
Collier, who averaged 40 points in the two-game sweep of the Phoenix Mercury in the first round and had 29 points and 13 rebounds at Connecticut in Game 4, was her usual cool self with the confidence and determination of a star chasing her first championship.
“She’s just the combination of everything you want in a player, but I think the thing that makes her so special outside of the obvious skill set is she doesn’t get rushed,” Sun coach Stephanie White said. “She stays so poised, no matter what, and you can tell the rest of her team feeds off of that.”
Alyssa Thomas had a quiet seven points and six assists for the Sun, who trailed by double digits for all but 12 seconds of the final three quarters. Marina Mabrey, who came off the bench for the second straight game, hurt her ankle in the first half from an awkward step near a photographer on the baseline and was limited to 14 minutes.
“She’s one of the toughest kids I’ve ever been around,” White said. “She tried to give it a go and just didn’t have it.”
