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Most recently, the Lynx used the same defensive-fueled push in the fourth quarter to shock an opponent when they appeared in trouble. That was Wednesday night, when they were down 14 in the fourth quarter in San Jose, Calif., and came back for a 75-74 victory to eliminate Golden State in two games.
That gave the Lynx a full rest for Sunday’s game, as the Mercury were winning the third game Friday night vs. the Liberty.
Short rest was offered to Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts as an alibi for his team having its doors blown off in the fourth quarter. He went with amazement over his team being held to 22 points in the second half by the Lynx and said: “They did what they had to do. Win Game 1.”
This used to be close to a given in the WNBA, with the top teams with a couple of stars cruising into the Finals, then doing battle for a title.
In a way, the 2024 Lynx were at the forefront of the change that has been coming. They were a preseason pick to finish ninth in the 12-team WNBA.
Napheesa Collier was on the rise to stardom, and Cheryl Reeve, basketball boss and coach, earned an A-plus in free agency and veteran player acquisition. And she decided not to add Angel Reese as a draft choice, obviously fearing chemistry issues (which increasingly seems to be sound thinking — despite Reeve selecting a non-player at No. 7 in 2024).
