Photo: “Damiris Dantas” by Lorie Shaull is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
This second round match up was a real barn-burner as this one was tight all game but the Minnesota Lynx would pull out an 80-79 win over the Phoenix Mercury. The Lynx will face the Seattle Storm in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs.
Damiris Dantas was the leading scorer for the Lynx in the win with 22 points.
Three other Minnesota players would hit double figures in points in the game which they were Crystal Dangerfield (17), Odyssey Sims (14), and Rachel Banham (11).
The Lynx also had the advantage of shooting as well, as the team shot 47.1% (32-68) and Phoenix shot 44.8% (30-67). Minnesota also had the advantage over the Mercury at the three-point line as the team shot 41.2% (7-17) and Phoenix shot 36.7% (11-30). The Lynx also bested the Mercury at the foul line with the team shooting 81.8 % (9-11) and with Phoenix shooting 80.0% (8-10).
Diana Taurasi was the leading scorer for the Mercury in the game with 28 points.
Brianna Turner had a double-double in the game for Phoenix as she had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
One other Mercury player would hit double figures in points in the game which they were Kia Vaughn (10).
Phoenix holds a one-point lead after one-quarter of play
The Mercury would come out of the starting gate hot in this one as the team went on a 17-7 run in the first five minutes of this game. Diana Taurasi was the leader of this run as she scored eight of the 17 points. Other keys to this drive were rebounding as the team collected four rebounds and drained three shots from the three-point line ( Taurasi (2) and Shey Peddy (1)).
Starting at the 5:01 minute mark, Minnesota would start to catch fire as the team went on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to two points (21-19) with 1:38 left in the quarter. Rachel Banham was the leader of this run as she scored five of the 12 points. The Lynx had the touch from the three-point line on this run as the team made two which came from Banham and Damiris Dantas.
In the remaining minutes of the first quarter, Minnesota would outscore Phoenix 4-3 which cut the lead to one point (24-23).
The Mercury had their best shooting percentage of the game in the first quarter with 55.6 % (10-18).
The Lynx would shoot 50.0 % (9-18) in the first quarter of this game.
Phoenix would take a nine-point lead into the half
The level of intensity went up a notch in the first six and half minutes of the second quarter as the lead changed hands five times and the score was tied up three times. The final lead change during those six and half minutes came when Napheesa Collier made a technical foul shot to give Minnesota a 35-34 lead. Rebounding was a big key for the Lynx to snag the lead during this time as the team collected eight rebounds.
At the 2:30 minute mark, the Mercury would snag the lead back with a 12-2 run which gave the team a 46-37 lead at the half. Kia Vaughn was the leader of the run as she scored six of the 12 points on the run. Diana Taurasi and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough also added some firepower on the run as they each made a three-point shot.
Phoenix’s shooting dipped in the second quarter as the team shot 47.4 % (9-19).
Minnesota had their worst shooting percentage of the game in the second quarter with 35.7 % (5-14).
The game was all tied up at 60 after three-quarters of play
The Lynx came out of the half with the hot hand as the team went on a 12-6 run to cut the lead to three (52-49) with 5:10 left in the third quarter. Damiris Dantas was the leader of this run as she scored six of the 12 points. Other keys to this run were the team was able to force four turnovers and collected five rebounds.
Starting at the 4:34 minute mark, Minnesota would outscore the Mercury 9-5 to take a 58-57 lead with 2:01 left in the quarter. Crystal Dangerfield was the leading scorer during that time as she scored four of the nine points. The Lynx forced two turnovers from Phoenix during that time.
Seconds later, Mercury’s Alanna Smith would drain a three-point shot to give her team a 60-58 lead with 1:34 left in the quarter.
Minnesota would have the last bucket in this quarter as Odyssey Sims would hit pull up jump shot to tie the game at 60.
Phoenix’s shooting continued to decline as the team shot 38.5 % (5-13).
The Lynx had their best shooting percentage of the game in the third quarter with 52.6 % (10-19).
Lynx get a one-point playoff win
The intensity was at 100 in the fourth as Minnesota would take the lead in the first three minutes but two of the three times the team grabbed the lead, the Mercury would get a bucket to tie the game up. The final time the Lynx grabbed the lead during those three minutes came when Crystal Dangerfield would make a three-point shot to give her team a 67-64 lead with 7:45 left in the game. On the next Minnesota possession, Damiris Dantas would also drain a three-point shot which gave her team a 70-64 lead with 7:13 left in the fourth.
At the 6:59 minute mark, Phoenix was ready to get a repeat performance of their round one comeback win as the team went on a 13-8 run to cut the lead to one point (78-77) with 3:17 left in the game. Diana Taurasi was the leader of this run as she scored eight of the 13 points.
About a minute later, Odyssey Sims would make a step back jump shot which pushed the Lynx lead to three (80-77) with 2:31 left in the game.
At the 35. 3 seconds mark, the Mercury’s Skylar Diggins-Smith would drain a three-point shot which cut the lead to one point(80-79).
Would this be the latest comeback playoff victory for Phoenix???
It would not, as the Minnesota defense held strong and rode out the last remaining seconds to seal an 80-79 win. The Lynx clinched a ticket to face the Seattle Storm in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs.
The Mercury had their worst shooting percentage of the game in the fourth with 35.3 % (6-17).
Minnesota would shoot 47.1 % (8-17) in the fourth quarter of this game.
Stats:
FG%: MIN 47.1% &PHX 44.8%
3P%: MIN 41.2%&PHX36.7 %
FT%: MIN 81.8%&PHX80.0%
Rebs: MIN29&PHX34
Ast: MIN 15&PHX23
Stl: MIN8 & PHX5
TO: MIN 12&PHX15
Blks: MIN1&PHX1
Outside the First State 