Cheryl Reeve Slams Lack of Execution in ‘Uncharacteristic’ Lynx Collapse

The Minnesota Lynx were one good half of basketball away from a commanding 2-0 series lead in the WNBA semifinals. Instead, the Phoenix Mercury pulled off the third-largest comeback in playoff history, erasing a 20-point third-quarter deficit and defeating the Lynx 89-83 in overtime to knot the series 1-1.

“They ripped the game from us,” Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve bluntly admitted postgame.

From the start of the second half through overtime, Phoenix outscored the Lynx 57-35, their trademark physicality powering a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

“I would think that’s what a team would do. After a first half that didn’t go like they wanted it to, that’s typically what you do,” Reeve explained when asked about the Mercury’s second-half intensity. “I think our response to it was a little bit uncharacteristic.”

Phoenix’s elite frontcourt duo of Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally fueled the charge. Thomas finished two assists of a triple-double, tallying 19 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. Sabally, meanwhile, rebounded from a relatively quiet Game 1 performance with 24 points and five three-pointers.

Yet it was 36-year-old guard Sami Whitcomb who had the biggest shot of the night.

With 20.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Mercury had the ball trailing by three. Looking to tie, head coach Nate Tibbetts put the ball in Whitcomb’s hands. Her first effort from distance missed the rim entirely, but a clutch offensive rebound from Thomas kept the possession alive.

The Mercury swung it back around to Whitcomb on the left wing, whose pump fake drew a premature contest from Co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith. With a clear lane to shoot, Whitcomb delivered, draining the three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left and effectively sending the game into overtime.

“We still had a chance up three,” Reeve recounted. “If we just stay in plays and don’t go flying by a shooter, [if] we get a contest, maybe the outcome’s different — but not to be. They made the plays.”

It’s a play that does not reflect favorably on the Lynx in retrospect, particularly for a squandered chance to take a foul after Thomas’ rebound and prevent a second three-point attempt.

Napheesa Collier and Bridget Carleton flanked Thomas, but allowed her to kick outside to Kahleah Copper. Once again, Minnesota orchestrated a trap, this time with Carleton and Kayla McBride, but no foul was committed. Seconds later, Copper sent a cross-court pass to Whitcomb, setting up the game-tying shot.

“We didn’t instruct them to take a foul, so they were playing it out,” Reeve disclosed postgame. “In hindsight, I do like a foul there, but I didn’t direct them to.”

Still, Minnesota’s second-half collapse goes far beyond one play or one missed opportunity.

Cheryl Reeve Breaks Down Shocking Second Half for Lynx

The Lynx carried a 16-point lead into halftime, extending it to 20 halfway through the third quarter. But as the momentum began to shift, Minnesota ultimately aided Phoenix’s comeback effort.

“I think the lack of execution led us to the uncertainty, and all of a sudden, we’re looking around and had a bunch of ‘oh s—‘ looks,” Reeve asserted. “Execution, simple things, pass and catch. Phoenix certainly was a big part defensively, but I can show you four turnovers that had nothing to do with Phoenix.”

14 of Minnesota’s 18 turnovers came in the second half or overtime, including a costly five-second violation in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

They also lost an edge physically, as evidenced by Phoenix gaining an upper hand on the glass.

“They flipped the script. They got offensive rebounds and threes,” Reeve said of the Mercury. “And we lost the game on hustle plays. We lost the game on guards not wanting to go get rebounds.”

Despite some uncharacteristic slip-ups, the Lynx had opportunities to pull away with a narrow, if not ugly, win.

“We needed to go get buckets, and we had good opportunities,” noted Reeve. “We weren’t strong enough, we weren’t tough enough.”

Minnesota went just 2-of-7 from the field in overtime. The Mercury matched that, but connected on a three-pointer and drew an additional eight attempts at the free-throw line.

As the series shifts back to Phoenix for the next two games, the Lynx will need to take at least one game at PHX Arena if they wish to advance to the WNBA Finals for a second consecutive season. It’s a tall task, but few are better suited for it than Minnesota, which boasts a league-best 15-8 record on the road.

“It’s a resilient team, it’s a team that responds,” praised Reeve. “Obviously, they don’t feel great right now, but they’re problem solvers. Nobody said this stuff was gonna be easy.”

To her point, the Lynx are 9-1 after losses this season. All signs point to a bounceback in Game 3.

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