The Minnesota Lynx won the winner-takes-all Game 5. WNBA Tuesday in the semifinals against the Connecticut Sun. The Lynx won 88-77. new york liberty In the NBA Finals.
In a back-and-forth series characterized by close games, Tuesday night produced a rare explosion. With the home crowd cheering them on at Target Center in Minneapolis, the Lynx got off to a hot start, scoring 31 points in the first quarter to take an early 13-point lead.
Guard Kayla McBride led Minnesota with 10 points in the opening quarter.
The Lynx continued to dominate in the second quarter, leading by as much as 21 points. This was the largest margin of either team in the series to that point.
At halftime, the Lynx led 53-34, with guard Courtney Williams leading the scoring. Williams scored 15 points in the first half with a perfect shooting performance of 6 out of 6 from the field and 1 free throw.
The Sun threatened Minnesota with a 7-0 run to start the second half, but the Lynx quickly rebounded and extended the lead to 24 points.
It was academic as Minnesota cruised to a comfortable win.
Lynx forward Napheesa Collier finished the game as the game’s leading scorer with 27 points. Collier also became the first player in WBNA history to score at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in three playoff games.
Williams finished with 24 points and McBride had 19 for Minnesota. DiJonai Carrington led Connecticut with 17 points in the game.
“I’ve said from the beginning how special this group is and how we can do big things, and now we’re in the finals,” Collier told ESPN after the game. “This is the best feeling!”
Minnesota’s win sets up a WNBA Finals matchup between the two best teams in the regular season. New York boasted the best record in the league, but the Lynx won. freedom Three of four games during the season, including winning the WNBA’s first Commissioner’s Cup.
Collier was quick to downplay Minnesota’s regular season dominance of the Liberty.
“I don’t think the regular season means anything,” Collier said. “They are an amazing team, top of the league. But there are two of us. As you know, we are right behind them.
“I think it’s going to be a great series, great basketball. We have two amazing teams, two teams full of great players competing.”
The Lynx lead all WNBA teams with four championships in franchise history, with the most recent coming in 2017. The franchise’s seven Finals appearances lead all WNBA teams.
The Liberty are playing in their sixth WNBA Finals, but are still looking for their first championship.
The best-of-five WNBA Finals are scheduled to begin Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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