Lynx: Relentless defense in the second half, victory against Mercury

Lynx Mount a Comeback with Defensive Intensity in a Semifinal Duel

In the first game of the semi-finals, the Minnesota Lynx huddled in the locker room during halftime, after allowing 47 points in the first half against the Phoenix Mercury. The conversation focused on how to regain control of the game. The focus wasn’t on pointing fingers, but on finding solutions as a team. The key question was: “What can we do together?”. The answer translated into greater defensive intensity, which propelled the Lynx to an 82-69 victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

It was a collaborative effort in terms of what they wanted to do in terms of schemes. Everyone was involved.

Cheryl Reeve, Lynx Coach

This type of conversations have become common for the Lynx throughout the regular season, often acting as turning points that help them win the game.

We’ve been through a lot of adverse situations in the last two years together. We always know it’s a team effort. We know that in those moments we need a brainstorming session. We are not alone. We are doing it together. We are trying to solve problems and do whatever it takes to win. It was another example of that today in the halftime conversation.

Kayla McBride, Lynx Player

After allowing the Mercury to score 42 points in the paint in the first half, the Lynx limited them to only 12 in the second, outscoring Phoenix by 20 points in the last 20 minutes of the game. The key was to improve the defense on what Reeve called “the most difficult play to defend for any team in the league,” where Phoenix inverts the screen and puts its smallest player on Alyssa Thomas. In the first half, Thomas scored 16 points, his second-highest point total in a playoff half in his career, and scored or assisted on 23 of the Mercury’s 47 points in the first half. In the second half, Thomas scored only two points. The Lynx double-teamed Thomas on seven possessions in the second half, and she went 0-1 with a turnover. The Mercury did not score on those possessions where Thomas was double-teamed, according to ESPN Research. Minnesota forced Phoenix to rely on other parts of its offense, mainly forcing the Mercury to 3-point shots, but they ended up with only 3 of 23 from beyond the arc. Courtney Williams finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals, becoming the fifth player with a playoff game of 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals in league history, joining Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, Tamika Catchings, and Sheryl Swoopes. McBride added 21 points and 6 rebounds, and Napheesa Collier had 18 points and 9 rebounds. The game was tied at 59 at the start of the last quarter, but the Lynx outscored the Mercury 14-2 in the last five minutes of the game to secure the 13-point victory.