Wrapping up the regualr season series finale, the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Lynx and sixth-seeded Phoenix Mercury collide on Wednesday night in the Valley.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Lynx beat Phoenix both times in Minnesota, with 50 bench points powering the Lynx to a 95-71 blowout win on May 31 and persevering despite a stronger defensive presence by Phoenix, claiming a 73-60 victory on June 22.
When these two teams faced each other in Arizona, however, Kahleah Copper became a hero.
During the Commissioner’s Cup run in which the Mercury went 3-1, the seesaw game went back and forth before Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts called a timeout down by one with 5.1 seconds left, 80-79.
On the ensuing play, Sophie Cunningham inbounded the ball to Brittney Griner. Knowing time was not on her side, Griner handed it off to Copper who flushed a last-gasp 3-pointer with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock, lifting the roof off of Footprint Center with a loud roar from the Mercury faithful as they won 81-80. Copper scored 34 points in the victory.
Here is Kahleah Copper’s (@kahleahcopper ) clutch, game-winning 3 with less than a second left in the game, propelling the Mercury to an 81-80 win over the Lynx. #ValleyTogether #WNBA #LynxRecognize pic.twitter.com/CrlAsR2cM9
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) June 8, 2024
Based on multiple scenarios to advance, Minnesota did ultimately move on to the tournament championship against the New York Liberty and won the Commissioner’s Cup.
A dominant force in the Western Conference throughout the season, the Lynx are one of the hottest teams in the WNBA. Minnesota is a perfect 6-0 in their last six games and 8-2 in their last 10.
Led by two-time Olympic gold medalist Napheesa Collier, the Lynx are the No. 1 seed in their conference and are right behind the Connecticut Sun for second in the entire league. The four-time All-Star is averaging 21.1 points (No. 4 in WNBA), 10.0 rebounds (No. 3), 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals (No. 2) per game.
Not just her, but the supporting cast of Kayla McBride and Alanna Smith have made Minnesota a true title contender. McBride leads the league in 3-pointers scored (87) while Smith is third in 3-point percentage (43.5%) and blocks (1.7) per game.
Here is the rest of what you need to know before the game tonight at 7 p.m. PT:
Injuries
Phoenix Mercury: G/F Rebecca Allen (Right Hamstring), G Charisma Osborne (Left Lower Leg)
Minnesota Lynx: N/A
Projected Starting Lineups
Phoenix Mercury:
G Natasha Cloud
G Diana Taurasi
F Sophie Cunningham
F Kahleah Copper
C Brittney Griner
Minnesota Lynx:
G Courtney Williams
G Kayla McBride
F Napheesa Collier
F Bridget Carleton
F Alanna Smith
Milestone Watch
- McBride needs six more 3-pointers made to pass women’s basketball legend Tamika Catchings for ninth all-time (606) in WNBA history. She is eight behind former Mercury DeWanna Bonner who currently has 609 in her career.
- Since joining Minnesota in 2021 via free agency, McBride is also three 3-pointers behind Seimone Augustus (281) for third all-time in Lynx franchise history. Lynx icon Maya Moore is on top with 530 and Katie Smith is second when she finished with 460.
- Collier is three rebounds away from overtaking Augustus (1,191) for fourth most in Lynx history.
- Former Mercury first-round draft pick Courtney Williams is 10 rebounds from 1,500 in her nine-year career.
- Diana Taurasi is three free throws made from career No. 2,500. She is the all-time leader in the category and will look to add yet another significant accomplishment to her resume.
Mercury trio broke 3 records amidst officiating issues, setting season-high in turnovers
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
