WASHINGTON (TNS) — When Cheryl Reeve’s Minnesota Lynx finished inches short of a WNBA title two years ago, the presumption was they’d be right back in the Finals a season later.

The Lynx did the job in the regular season, finishing first by a dominant four games. But they only made it as far as the semifinals, bowing out soon after star Napheesa Collier suffered a major injury in the series.

kAm}@H |:??6D@E2 😀 2E :E 282:?i %96 7:CDE E62> 😕 E96 =628F6 E@ C6249 b_ H:?D[ 7:G6 82>6D 4=62C @7 E96 7:6=5[ 2 A=2J@77 36CE9 4=:?4965 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 — H:E9 2 BF2CE6C @7 E96 D62D@? E@ 8@]k^Am

kAm$@ H:== E9:D 36 E96 J62C E96 {J?I 7:?2==J C6249 E96 E@A[ 2?5 56=:G6C #66G6 2 C64@C5\3C62<:?8 7:7E9 (}qp E:E=6n $96’D 4FCC6?E=J E:65 2E E96 E@A H:E9 w@FDE@? r@>6ED =686?5 ‘2? r92?46==@C[ H9@ H@? 7@FC DEC2:89E 7C@> `hhf E@ a___] #66G6’D E:E=6D 42>6 😕 a_“[ ’`b[ ’`d[ 2?5 ’`f]k^Am

kAmx7 :E 92AA6?D[ #66G6 😀 AC6EEJ DFC6 D96’== @H H9J] %9@F89 E96 7:?2= G6C5:4E :D?’E 😕 @? H96E96C E9:D E62> 😀 36EE6C E92? E96 =2DE EH@[ E96 $6H6==[ }]y][ ?2E:G6 2?5 {2 $2==6 AC@5F4E 42? E6== H9J :E’D 5:776C6?E]k^Am

kAm“z2J=2 |4qC:56 36:?8 2? p==\(}qp A=2J6C[ x E9:?<[ 😀 2 3:8[ 3:8 C62D@? 7@C @FC DF446DD[” D96 D2:5 @7 E96 8F2C5 7C@> tC:6[ !2][ H9@’D 92G:?8 2 DE6==2C J62Ci `g]b A@:?ED A6C 82>6[ :?4=F5:?8 2 cb\A@:?E 6IA=@D:@? 282:?DE s2==2D @? pF8] h]k^Am

kAm“}2A966D2 r@==:6C 324< 😕 E96 7@=5 2?5 766=:?8 8C62E 3J E96 E:>6 H6 86E E@ ,E96. A=2J@77D[” #66G6 D2:5 @7 E96 7:G6\E:>6 p==\$E2C[ E9C66\E:>6 7:CDE\E62> p==\(}qp 9@?@C66 2?5 2 AC@=:7:4 D4@C6C 2?5 C63@F?56C H9@ 42? 2=D@ A2DD H6==]k^AmkAm“(6 92G6 2 8C@FA E92E ?6G6C 86ED C2EE=65 2?5 7:?5D 2 H2J E@ 4@>A6E6[ 2?5 E96J @H 6I24E=J H92E E96J ?665 E@ 5@[” #66G6 D2:5] “p?5 H6’G6 8@E G6E6C2?D[ =:<6 @3G:@FD=J ?@H r@==:6C 324< 😕 E96 7@=5[ |4qC:56 2?5 r@FCE?6J ,(:==:2>D. H9@ ;FDE @H C62==J[ C62==J H6== H92E H6’C6 =@@<:?8 7@C E96> E@ 5@] #6D:=:6?46[ x E9:?<[ 😀 H92E x 7:?5 H:E9 @FC E62>]”k^Am

kAmqFE #66G6’D 56D4C:AE:@? @7 2 J@F?86C A=2J6C 76=E ;FDE 2D AC@7@F?5]k^Am

kAm“%96 C@@<:6 D6?D2E:@?[” D96 D2:5[ 2?5 D96 5:5 ?@E 92G6 E@ 255 ~=:G:2 |:=6D’ ?2>6 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 =:DE6?:?8 E@ @H] %96 A@:?E 8F2C5 7C@> !9:==:AD3FC8[ }]y][ H9@ A=2J65 pp& 32== 7@C E96 !9:=256=A9:2 q6==6D[ 92D EFC?65 @FE E@ 36 6G6CJ 3:E 2D 8@@5 2D E96 DA@CE 9@A65 7@C 😕 96C 7:CDE D62D@? 2D 2 AC@[ 27E6C DE2CC:?8 2E }@EC6 s2>6 2?5 %r&]k^Am

kAm“%92E A@D:E:@? 😀 @?6 E92E’D ;FDE — :E’D :?4C65:3=6 H96? J@F 92G6 D@>6@?6 E92E 42? >2?286 E96 82>6 7@C J@F 2E DF49 2 J@F?8 286[” #66G6 D2:5[ “2?5 D96’D C62==J DFA6C >2EFC6]”k^Am

kAm%96 (}qp’D DE2CD — r2:E=:? r=2C<[ p’;2 (:=D@?[ qC62??2 $E6H2CE[ p?86= #66D6[ !2:86 qF64<6CD 2?5 r@==:6C — 82C?6C 2 =@E @7 E96 2EE6?E:@?] |:=6D 😀 364@>:?8 ;FDE 2D >F49 @7 2 >FDE\H2E49 2>@?8 9@@A9625D 7@C 96C 5J?2>:4 >:I @7 A2DD:?8[ D4@C:?8 2?5 E6?24:@FD 5676?D6]k^Am

kAm%96 ab\J62C\@=5 H2D 2E :E 282:? uC:52J 😕 2 hc\gc H:? @G6C E96 (2D9:?8E@? |JDE:4Di ac A@:?ED[ D6G6? 2DD:DED[ E9C66 DE62=D 2?5 E9C66 C63@F?5D]k^Am

kAm“t249 82>6[ H6’C6 AC6D6?E65 H:E9 D@>6E9:?8 ?6H E92E D96 244@>A=:D965[” #66G6 D2:5] “p?5 H6’C6 ?@E E2=<:?8 23@FE C@@<:6 244@=256D] (6’C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE[ =:<6[ 2==\E:>6 😕 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 =628F6 EJA6 ?F>36CDi $96’D E96 72DE6DE A=2J6C 😕 (}qp 9:DE@CJ E@ f__\A=FD A@:?ED 2?5 a__\A=FD 2DD:DED]”k^Am

kAm|:=6D C6EFC?65 E96 AC2:D6 😕 96C @H? 492C:D>2E:4 DEJ=6]k^Am

kAm“x 6H x H2D 4@>:?8 :?E@ D@>6E9:?8 E92E H2D 6DE23=:D965[ 2?5 DE2?52C5D 6I:DE65[ 2?5 D96 H2D?’E 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 :E 62DJ — 6DA64:2==J @? A@:?E 8F2C5D[” D96 D2:5] “p4EF2==J 36:?8 😕 :E ?@H[ :E’D 567:?:E6=J =:<6 E92E] $96’D 567:?:E6=J 92C5 @? >6]”k^Am

kAm%96? 42>6 E96 H2C>E9]k^Am

kAm“$96 8:G6D >6 2 =@E @7 8C246 @H:?8 E92E x’> 2 C@@<:6[ 2?5 x’> =62C?:?8[ 2?5 :E’D E96 92C56DE A@D:E:@?[” |:=6D D2:5] “p?5 x’G6 ?66565 E92E 8C246[ 2?5 x 2AAC64:2E6 E92E 7C@> 96C] … %92E’D E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E9:?8 7@C >6[ @H:?8 H96C6 :E 4@>6D 7C@>[ 96C :?E6?E:@?[ @H:?8 E92E D96 F=E:>2E6=J ;FDE H2?ED E96 36DE 7@C >6 2?5 H2?ED >6 E@ 36 8C62E]”k^Am

kAm#66G6 AFE 2 =@E @7 7@4FD @? 9@H BF:4<=J |:=6D 3F:=E 496>:DECJ H:E9 E96 G6E6C2?D]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D @A6? 2C>D 7C@> E96 7C@> s2J ` E92E D96 H2=<65 :?E@ @FC AC24E:46 724:=:EJ[” #66G6 D2:5] “{:E6C2==J[ E96 7:CDE 52J E96J H2E4965 96C >2<6 A2DD6D[ E96J H6C6 @@9:?8 2?5 229:?8 2?5 9JA:?8 96C FA] p?5 3J EH@ H66

kAm$96 2=D@ AC2:D65 9@H E96 G6ED 92G6 96=A65 |:=6D =62C? E96 C@A6D @7 E96 AC@D]k^Am

kAm“%96J C6>6>36C 36:?8 C@@<:6D[” #66G6 D2:5] “p82:?[ ‘{:G’ 😀 >2EFC6[ 3FE 2=D@[ E9:D 😀 2 92C5 =628F6] x E9:?< {:G 2E E:>6D 2AA62CD F?72K65[ 3FE H6 D66 H96? D96 92D 96C >@>6?ED[ 2?5 :E 😀 E9@D6 G6E6C2?D E92E 2C6 96=A:?8 96C E9C@F89 E92E]”k^Am

kAm!FEE:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 E@86E96C[ #66G6 D2:5 E9@F89 E9:D J62C’D E62> >:89E ?@E 92G6 E96 56AE9 @7 E96 =2DE EH@[ “H6 AC@323=J 92G6 >@C6 E2=6?E ?@H E92? H6 5:5 😕 E96 DE2CE:?8 7:G6]”k^Am

kAm%96 6?5 AC@5F4E :D[ 8@:?8 :?E@ $2EFC52JVD 82>6D[ E96 D64@?5\9:896DE D4@C:?8 @776?D6 😕 E96 =628F6 2E ha]a A@:?ED A6C 82>6[ E96 E9:C5\36DE D4@C:?8 5676?D6 2E gb]c A@:?ED 2==@H65 A6C 82>6[ 2?5 E96 }@] ` A@:?ED 5:776C6?E:2= 2E A=FD\g]g]k^Am

kAm“x7 H6 86E :E 5@?6[” #66G6 D2:5 @7 A@DD:3=J H:??:?8 2 E:E=6[ “:E’D 3642FD6 H6 925 7:G6 DE2CE6CD E92E H6C6 A=2J:?8 E@ E96:C 36DE]”k^Am

kAm%9:D D62D@? 😀 96C `fE9 😕 492C86 @7 E96 {J?I[ 96C aa?5 2D 2 9625 4@249 @G6C2==[ 2?5 E96 bgE9 @7 2 42C66C E92E 92D 925 6:89E DE@AD 24C@DD 4@==686 2?5 AC@ E62>D[ A=FD E96 a_ac ~=J>A:4 4J4=6 2D E96 &]$] H@>6?’D 9625 4@249 2?5 E96 EH@ 4J4=6D 367@C6 E96? 2D 2? 2DD:DE2?E]k^Am

kAm|F49 92D 492?865 @G6C E9@D6 J62CD 😕 H@>6?’D 32D<6E32==] qFE #66G6 >256 :E 4=62C E92E D96 DE:== 92D 2D >F49 A2DD:@? 2D 6G6C 7@C E96 82>6 2?5 96C H@C<]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E96 82>6 8:G6D >6 D@ >F49 ;@J[” D96 D2:5] “%96 A6@A=6 E92E J@F’C6 😕 :E H:E9[ E96 4@>A6E:E:G6 — ;FDE[ E96 766=:?8 J@F 86E H96? E92E 32== 😀 23@FE E@ 36 E:AA65 2?5 H92E’D 23@FE E@ 92AA6?] %92E’D ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 E92E’D D@CE @7 :??2E6 E@ E9@D6 @7 FD E92E 5@ :E 7@C 2 C62==J =@?8 E:>6]”k^Am