The Minnesota Lynx are dancing back into the WNBA Semifinals following a big win in Game 2 of the Quarterfinals against Golden State.
The Lynx were trailing by double digits entering the final frame and proved they were the better team in the end.
Per ESPN.com:
SAN JOSE, Calif. — As the Minnesota Lynx huddled before the fourth quarter of Game 2 of their first-round WNBA playoff series against the Golden State Valkyries, coach Cheryl Reeve had a clear message for her group.
“Coach said, ‘There is nothing I can draw for you that’s going to get you an easy bucket. You have to go out there and just play,'” Napheesa Collier said.
Trailing by 14, the top-seeded Lynx faced a tall task as they looked to end this series in a sweep. Since the 2006 season, when the WNBA switched from halves to quarters, Minnesota was 0-76 when trailing by that margin entering the fourth quarter in the regular season and playoffs.
That changed Wednesday night. The Lynx did just enough to secure a 75-74 win, sending them back to the semifinals for the second year in a row.
“I am just so proud of our effort,” Collier said. “I think it shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we’ve been talking about for two years. I was really proud of us today.”
She continued: “[It’s] the desperation that we played with knowing we were down by a lot and only had 10 minutes to get back in it.”
Â
Minnesota outscored Golden State 26-11 in the fourth quarter — a period that saw the Lynx execute at an entirely different level than the first three quarters.
On defense, the Lynx smothered the Valkyries, contesting 14 of their 16 field goal attempts and forcing them to go 3-for-14 on those shots. Minnesota also held Golden State to 4-of-15 shooting in its half-court offense and 3-of-10 in clutch time, including a possible game-winning jumper from Cecilia Zandalasini.
Â
Â
And now the Lynx can rest for a few days until they know who their semifinal opponent will be.
“We get to have those days off, recover, take care of our bodies and also just set the tone for how we want to play in these playoffs,” Collier said.
The Lynx await the winner of the Mercury-Liberty series, which will be decided Friday night (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). The semifinals will tip off Sunday.
Source:Â ESPN.com
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Time Leading Scorers
Gallery Credit: Bert Remien