Uncasville, Conn. — Determined to bounce back from a tough offensive outing, forward Napheesa Collier wasn’t going to let history repeat itself and let your teammates down.
Collier, the star of the Minnesota Lynx, poured in 26 points as her team defeated the Connecticut Sun 90-81 on Friday night, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series.
“Everyone has an off night, and I just try to help the team in other ways,” Collier said, reflecting on her 9-point performance in Game 2, where she shot just 3-of-14.
Despite that poor shooting night, Collier’s confidence never wavered. The MVP runner-up has been working tirelessly all season on both ends on the hardwood and knew her subpar outing was just a blip.
With Connecticut threatening to mount a comeback late in the contest, Collier squashed all of that in crucial moments to shift the momentum. Minnesota held an 81-73 lead with just over three minutes to play in the game when Collier scored, followed by a key defensive deflection, and then found Alanna Smith for a long 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 13 points.
“In crunch time, I knew I had to be aggressive, especially in one-on-one situations,” Collier said. “We had to match their intensity, especially when they started playing with desperation.”
The Lynx now have a chance to advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017, when they won the last of their four championships during a dominant seven-year run. Game 4 will take place on Sunday in Connecticut, with a potential Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night in Minnesota if needed.
Collier wasted no time setting the tone in Friday’s game, scoring 16 points in the first half alone. She was relentless, hitting seven of her first 10 shots as the Lynx built a 48-36 halftime lead. Minnesota maintained control early, finishing the first quarter up by seven points.
The Sun made a push to get back into the game, cutting the deficit to seven points on a Marina Mabrey three-point play midway through the third quarter. However, they couldn’t get any closer after that.
“It was a tough one for us,” said Sun coach Stephanie White. “They got what they wanted offensively, and we didn’t do enough to prepare. We got outplayed, outexecuted, and outcoached.”
Brionna Jones, who had struggled in the first two games with just eight total points, led Connecticut with 21 points on Friday. DeWanna Bonner chipped in 16 points, climbing to second place on the WNBA’s all-time postseason scoring list with 1,159 points, surpassing Candace Parker’s 1,149. Bonner moved into second place by hitting a free throw late in the third quarter. Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury remains the all-time leader with 1,455 postseason points.
Although all five Sun starters reached double figures in scoring, their bench provided little support, getting outscored 16-4 by Minnesota’s reserves.
The first two games of the series were marked by physical play, with both teams known for their strong defensive identities. The Sun and the Lynx were the top two defensive teams in the regular season, allowing 73.6 and 75.6 points per game, respectively.
“I just thought it was across the board a slugfest,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said of the first two games. “And I’m quite sure they felt the same.”
