Lynx Secures Home Court Advantage in Playoffs with Record Victory
The Minnesota Lynx secured home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs after obtaining their 31st victory, a new franchise record, by defeating Connecticut 94-70 on Saturday. The Lynx team demonstrated their dominance with five players scoring in double figures, highlighting Alanna Smith and DiJonai Carrington, both with 18 points each. Napheesa Collier contributed 17 points and nine rebounds.Last season, the Lynx were runners-up to New York, who had the home-court advantage in the WNBA Finals and won the decisive Game 5 in Brooklyn. This year, the Finals have been extended to a seven-game format. In addition to having the best overall league record at 31-8, the Lynx also hold the best home record at 18-2.“The games are very difficult, no matter where you play. So if you have that home advantage, getting that energy from your fans, it’s huge,” Smith commented.
Alanna Smith
Reeve, the coach with the longest tenure in the WNBA, has guided the Lynx since 2010, achieving titles in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, as well as runner-up finishes in 2012, 2016, and 2024. The WNBA season has been extended to 44 games this year; Minnesota earned its 31st win in its 39th game, surpassing last season’s 30 wins in 40 games. The Lynx’s best regular season winning percentage was 82.4% in 2016, with a record of 28-6. Their second-best winning percentage is 79.4%, achieved in 2017, 2012, and 2011. Currently, they are at 79.5% with five games remaining.“We have a scenario where, if we win our home games, we win the WNBA championship,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We believe in our capabilities at home; our fanbase is fantastic. They are going to support us like crazy.”
Cheryl Reeve
Despite having secured the home-field advantage, Reeve stated that they will not slow down for the remainder of the regular season. “We don’t have that mentality that it doesn’t mean anything. It always means something,” added Reeve. “Can we work on some things that we have the opportunity to analyze? Maybe some combinations, generate momentum in some areas.” “This group, I can’t imagine they’ll ever go to a game thinking, ‘This doesn’t mean anything.’ It’s a very dangerous place to compete, when you go to a game with the mindset that you’re not going to give it your all.”“Week in and week out in the league…we’ve really never looked at our record,” Reeve commented. “So when you clinch the advantage and you look at the record, you go, ‘Oh my gosh!’ What does that mean? That this group is really special.”
Cheryl Reeve
Four of the Lynx’s remaining five games are against teams that have already secured their playoff spot or are in the fight: Las Vegas, Indiana, and Golden State (twice). Thursday’s game in Las Vegas, which has won 12 consecutive games, is also the last regular season matchup between the leading MVP candidates, Collier and the Aces’ center, A’ja Wilson.
