The Minnesota Lynx defeat the Connecticut Sun 77-70 to tie the series 1-1. This is the first time this postseason that a series has been tied. Every series in the first round ended in a sweep, and New York took a commanding 2-0 lead over the Aces
Game Recap
The first quarter was all about defense as neither team got off to a great start offensively. Minnesota missed their first eight shot attempts, not getting on the board until the 6:22 mark in the first quarter. They scored just 12 points in the quarter on 5/20 shooting from the field. Their defense forced a few shot clock violations as well as making the Sun settle for jumpshots.
Connecticut was no better as they did not make their first field goal until the 4:50 mark of the quarter. They already had four points prior, but those came from the free throw line. They scored just 10 points on 3/15 shooting from the field. They did a good job of clogging the paint to make things difficult for the Lynx, but they were not able to take advantage of those opportunities.
The Lynx found their offensive flow in the second quarter, making their first four shots which turned to 11 points. Bridget Carleton accounted for seven of those points. She was a big boost for the Lynx, but only played three minutes due to picking up two fouls in less than a minute.
With three fouls in the first half, Carleton had to sit on the bench. But it did not matter because everyone else stepped up. Kayla McBride scored six points in the quarter, followed by Cecelia Zandalasini with five.
The Sun’s offense was still out of sorts. It was better than it was compared to the first quarter, but it was still shaky. They were getting a ton of good looks, but the shots were not falling. They did hit a few threes, which helped them cut into Minnesota’s lead.
Minnesota began the third quarter on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 13 before Connecticut answered with an 8-2 run to cut the lead to seven. Connecticut finally found their rhythm on offense and got to the paint a lot easier.
After a quiet first half, Courtney Williams went crazy. She scored 11 points in the third quarter on 100% shooting, and went on a personal 7-0 run to push the lead back to double digits after the Sun went on their run.
It was a nine-point game heading into the fourth quarter, but Minnesota immediately pushed the lead back to double digits. They went on an 8-2 run to lead by 15 as the Sun missed their first six shot attempts. Their first made field goal came at the 6:51 mark.
Things started to get interesting as Connecticut proceeded to go on a 12-4 run to cut into the lead. They were getting to the free throw line and getting stops on the other end. They got it within eight but that was the closest it would be as there were some crucial missed free throws plus time was not on their side.
Minnesota snapped their seven-game losing streak to the Sun in Minneapolis, and will head to Connecticut for Games 3 and 4. Game will take place on Friday, October 4. It will air on ESPN2 and begin at 7:30pm EST.
Courtney Williams led the Lynx with 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Alanna Smith finished with 15 points and six rebounds. Kayla McBride finished with 11 points and two steals. Napheesa Collier was held to just nine points, but she had 12 rebounds along with five assists and four blocks.
Alyssa Thomas led the Sun with 18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Dewanna Bonner finished with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals. Marina Mabrey finished with 15 points, followed by DiJonai Carrington with 14 points.
Photo Courtesy: @minnesotalynx/X
