The Atlanta Dream will play host to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, the team to whom they lost in July, which marked the beginning of the current 10-1 run for the Lynx. Atlanta sits in a precarious No. 9 spot in the standings, one game behind Chicago and one ahead of Washington. The Lynx currently sits at the No. 2 spot, three behind New York and one ahead of Connecticut. While the Lynx have secured a playoff spot, it remains to be seen where they end up.
Atlanta has had a rocky season, one without much consistency. With players like Rhyne Howard, Tina Charles, Allisha Gray, and the recently returned Jordin Canada, one would think that the talent is there to make the eighth spot. At this point in the season, there is no margin for error. Everyone will need to bring their A-game. No exceptions.
Minnesota has found a groove with their chemistry and their defense which, even if shaky at times, has kept them high in the standings. Everyone on this team contributes. It isn’t always the same person who leads the charge, but on any given night, it could be anyone.
Perhaps that is what makes the Lynx stand out as they do, that ability to pass the torch among the team and make sure they form that flying V that gets them across the finish line. Coach Cheryl Reeve has assembled a first-rate team that is simply fun to watch. The team has a solid identity.
The WNBA Playoffs Race For Minnesota and Atlanta
As much as Atlanta fans will be cheering on their team in this matchup, it is safe to say that they will all become Lynx fans when the Lynx welcome the Chicago Sky to Target Center on Friday, the same night that the Dream will face the Washington Mystics in Atlanta. For the three teams in contention for that No. 8 spot, the remainder of the season will be a non-stop dogfight. The Lynx, after playing Chicago at home, will travel to New York and then Connecticut for what could potentially be deciding playoff position games.
📍ATL pic.twitter.com/NBtqY9ahPJ
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) September 9, 2024
The Lynx have had success against the Liberty, but have yet to conquer the Sun. Connecticut has stumbled here and there after getting off to such a dynamic start to the season. The Liberty have also shown their vulnerability, and not just against the Lynx, so that same dogfight label applies between these three teams as well. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces can statistically do no better than second place, but for that to happen, both Minnesota and Connecticut would have to simply not show up. Unlikely.
The Lynx had a tough time in their last game against Washington but eventually prevailed. The lessons from that game will surely be fresh in their minds. The Dream is coming off of a heartbreaking overtime loss to Indiana and will look to bounce back. Unfortunately, not a lot seems to bounce off of the Lynx these days.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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