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The Minnesota Lynx will play for the first time since clinching home-court advantage throughout the postseason when they tip off against the Dallas Wings on Monday in Minneapolis.
Minnesota (31-8) is coming off a 94-70 road win against the Connecticut Sun, which set a franchise record for victories in a single season and locked up the WNBA’s top playoff seed.
The Lynx still have five regular-season games to build upon their record, starting with their next matchup against hometown favorite Paige Bueckers and the Wings (9-31).
“I don’t know how the players are, but I know (for the coaches), we never really had looked at our record,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “And so when you clinch, and you look at the record, you go, ‘Holy cow. We have 31 wins.’ …
“What does it mean? That this group is really special. That thus far in two years, they’ve won 61 games together. That’s a really, really special group. Just really happy for them.”
Minnesota has won three of its past four games and nine of its past 12. Napheesa Collier is a leading MVP candidate with averages of 23.4 points and 7.7 rebounds.
The mood is not as bright in Dallas, where the Wings are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak and have only one victory in their past 13 games.
The presence of Bueckers offers the Wings hope for the future. She leads the team with 18.9 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game in her rookie season, and she is certain that good things await the team.
Bueckers alluded to the career journey of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who helped turn a sub-.500 team into a perennial championship contender.
“I mean, just stick with it,” Bueckers said about her team. “Whoever we have in that locker room, whoever puts on a Wings jersey that night, that’s who we’re going to war with.
“… I remember Steph Curry before the Warriors became the Warriors. He tweeted out like, ‘Just stick with us. We’re going to figure it out.’ That’s the message. … I just have this undying belief in it.”
Bueckers will return to her home state of Minnesota for the second time since the Wings selected her with the top pick in the WNBA draft. She remains popular among Lynx fans who watched her blossom into a top recruit while starring at Hopkins High School just outside of Minneapolis.
This will be the fourth and final matchup of the regular season for the teams. Minnesota has won each of the first three games, including a 99-84 road win in the season opener May 16, an 85-81 home win on May 21 and an 81-65 away win on June 8.
–Field Level Media
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