Saturday’s meeting between the Phoenix Mercury and the Minnesota Lynx, while not being the slugfest that I had anticipated, was nonetheless an interesting and curious game. Knowing that no one climbs a mountain with one step, Minnesota, who have had a few less than stellar games, looked as though they were slowly getting back to what they do best. Phoenix, on the other hand, who has played quite well as of late, seemed in disarray.
Offensively, neither team looked particularly great. The Lynx got off to a better start than in previous games. Napheesa Collier, who ended with 23 points and 14 rebounds, looked as though she was finally climbing out of her recent tough stretch. After hitting her first shot, I thought, OK, that’s the Phee we’ve seen before.
Kahleah Copper, who has been on a tear as of late, and whose game I was looking forward to seeing, grabbed the first bucket for Phoenix. Overall, the first quarter seemed like a preview to what would be a gritty, entertaining game. How wrong I was.
The Mercury and its Rough Second Quarter
The Lynx held the Mercury to 10 points in the second, which is when I began to see the cracks in the Mercury’s game. While the Lynx played with a little more hustle than we’ve seen lately, the Mercury looked disconnected, distracted, and teetering on the verge of disinterest.
Natasha Cloud, who has an endless supply of energy, was her hustling self, but neither Copper, Diana Taurasi nor Brittney Griner was able to build much of a head of steam. Kayla McBride, who is still having some difficulties regaining her three-point prowess, did manage to hit a buzzer-beater three to close the first half, much to the delight of the crowd.
During halftime, I began to ponder what could be wrong with the Mercury. Coming off of three previous high-scoring victories and one high-scoring loss, I was surprised by their lack of offense and cohesion. Griner was the one player who stood out to me, looking about as far away from the game as one could get.
I’d never seen her miss as many shots as in this game, and her overall demeanor suggested to me that something was getting in the way. Taurasi did not display the usual bravado that we’ve come to expect, and Copper just couldn’t find the hoop.
The second half of the game showed a little more purpose, and while the Mercury had a little more offense, the Lynx countered and were able to widen the gap by quarter’s end. The fourth quarter saw the Lynx lead balloon to twenty, which the Mercury were able to carve into a bit, but ultimately the Lynx defense and offense worked, and they ended with a 13-point lead to win 73-60.
Lynx Adds Another W
This game made it six in a row for the Lynx, who are sitting at 13-3. The Mercury is now at 8-8, going 2-6 on the road. Generally, I am not one to speculate. I do get a sense though that both Taurasi and Griner are just trying to get through the season. My feeling is that both will say farewell next season. Taurasi certainly has nothing more to prove, having solidly established herself as a genuine GOAT, at least as far as I’m concerned.
WWWWWW pic.twitter.com/sittlUuZzC
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 23, 2024
As for Griner, I can only think that her detention in Russia had a more profound effect than we can imagine and that her perspective on what is important may have forever changed. As I said, this is only a feeling that I have, based on nothing more than what I see, hear, and read.
For the Lynx, I think that what has pushed them through some difficult moments is their commitment to each other. We see that in every game. Collier looked as though she was getting back to solid form, and it was only a matter of time, and probably not much of that, until McBride returned to shooting excellence.
What is Next for the Mercury and Lynx?
The Mercury do not play again until next Friday when they take on the struggling Los Angeles Sparks. It’s a home game for Phoenix, so perhaps their X-factor will be the X-factor. The Lynx will head to New York to face the Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday. This is the second meeting of these teams, and I am sure the Liberty remembers what happened at Target Center back in May when the Lynx beat them 84-67.
Since that game, New York has gone 10-1, losing only to the Phoenix Mercury in a close game. Despite recent dips for the Lynx, there is no reason to think that they can’t win this game. There is also no reason to think that the Liberty can’t win either. Each team has only three losses, and neither wants to add to that column. While there is a lot at stake, it is still just another game. Maybe.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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