As we approach the penultimate game of the season, the Minnesota Lynx have one hurdle left to get over; the Connecticut Sun. Since their last meeting, Minnesota has gone 15-3 while Connecticut has gone 11-7. The Sun is coming off of a loss to Las Vegas, and the Lynx overcame a fourth-quarter surge by New York to beat the Liberty in their last meeting.
Connecticut sits two games behind Minnesota. A loss for the Lynx would still keep them in second place and a win will lock it up. Minnesota would have to drop both this game and their last versus Los Angeles to drop down to third.
With the addition of Marina Mabrey, the Sun has gained some much-needed scoring, particularly from distance. The Lynx have found in recent acquisition Myisha Hines-Allen a strong defender and scorer who has bolstered the Minnesota inside defense. Their ability to take down the Liberty on the road is a good indication that home-court advantage doesn’t always mean anything.
road dub. 😤
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) September 16, 2024
BC – 19 PTS / 70% FG / 5 3PM
Phee – 18 PTS / 13 REB / 4 AST
Court – 15 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST pic.twitter.com/kKffJSSMsm
Can Minnesota Pick Up The Road Win Versus Connecticut?
In looking at how the season has gone for the Lynx there is no reason to think that they can’t accomplish the same at Mohegan Sun. Connecticut hasn’t exactly had smooth sailing since their last game against the Lynx. Their losses have mostly come at the hands of top-tier teams New York, Las Vegas, and Seattle. They’ve also lost to Atlanta and Indiana on the road. Minnesota’s three losses were against Seattle, Indiana, and Dallas. Minnesota has the league’s best record since the Olympic break, going 13-1.
So what does all of this mean going into this game? Not much. Not really. Regardless of who ends up second and third after Thursday, they will each have home court for their first two games. And the fear of playing Indiana in the first round is ridiculous. Yes, Indiana is a much-improved team, and since the return from the Olympics, Minnesota has beaten them twice and Connecticut has lost once to the Fever. Indiana is a formidable opponent, but so is everyone else who will be in the playoffs.
The analysts have given a slight edge to the Sun. They gave a bigger edge to the Liberty and look what happened there. It seems absurd that at this late stage of the season, the ability of the Lynx to win still seems to be, as far as I’m concerned, off the mark. This game is a toss-up. Each team has the tools to win. It is all going to come down to who wants it more and who comes out swinging first. They both can, but which one will?
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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