The Minnesota Lynx (30-10) have flown under the radar all year despite a stellar season and host the struggling Phoenix Mercury (19-21) on Sunday in what could be the last time we see Diana Taurasi play and the start of a legendary postseason for Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and the rest of the team.
This No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup doesn’t seem like it’s going to produce any particular upsets, but let’s take a closer look at some key takeaways from both teams anyway.
Lynx vs. Mercury playoff schedule:
Game 1 will be in Minnesota on Sunday, September 22nd at 5pm ET (broadcast on ESPN).
Game 2 will be in Minnesota on Wednesday, September 25th at 9:30pm ET (broadcast on ESPN).
Game 3, if necessary, will be played in Phoenix on Friday, Sept. 27 (time TBA, broadcast on ESPN2).
Regular season series: Minnesota wins 3-1
Players to watch:
Links: Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Alana Smith
Mercury: Diana Taurasi, Karliah Copper, Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud
Prediction: Lynx, 2 wins.
This series could be the most one-sided first round series of the pack. The Lynx are the best team in the league since the Olympic break, going 13-2, while the Mercury are one of the worst, going 6-9. You never know what's going to happen in a three-game series, but these two teams are clearly heading in opposite directions.
Napheesa Collier was the center of everything Minnesota did and had the best season of her career (and arguably an MVP-caliber campaign). Collier averaged 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34.7 minutes per game, making her a worthy Defensive Player of the Year.
Photo: Chris Coduto/Getty Images
But what's great about Minnesota is just Collier is leading the offense. Kayla McBride is playing a key role as a spacer and scorer and has solidified herself as one of the league's best three-point shooters. Courtney Williams is one of the league's most underrated playmakers. Alanna Smith and Bridget Carlton are both having Most Valuable Player award-worthy seasons. Cheryl Reeve is making the most of this roster and everything seems to be going well heading into the postseason.
On the Mercury side, this could potentially be Diana Taurasi's final week of pro basketball, which has been a big headline this season (and rightly so.) The reality is that Taurasi has had a really solid year this year despite clearly not being in her prime, but the Mercury just haven't been able to put it together.
Sophie Cunningham emerged as a locker room leader and a sixth player of the year candidate, Brittney Griner had a great individual season less than two years after her incarceration in Russia, and Natasha Cloud excelled both defensively and defensively, but things just didn't quite click together the way the front office hoped.
Going into the first round of the postseason, the disparity between Minnesota and Phoenix is undeniable. Minnesota has the second-best defensive rating in the league this year (94.8), while Phoenix has the fourth-worst (105.4). Phoenix is also the 2019-20 season winner in the league. Second-worst rebounding team Losing streaks of basketball have been a factor this year, and the Mercurys will need to flip a switch to pull off an upset, which will be difficult to do after their inconsistent play this season.
Important questions: Kalea Copper take over?
Kalia Copper started the year strong and was initially considered a candidate for MVP. She has been in a downturn lately, but she has always been a strong player. Potential She was expected to be the best player on the court, as she was when she led the Chicago Sky to victory in the 2021 finals. WNBA Championship.
The Mercury will have to play much better than they have since the break to really challenge the Lynx, and Copper will have to perform at his best to give them any chance.
