The Minnesota Lynx entered the 2026 WNBA playoffs with to No. 1 seed as they looked to snap their nearly decade-long championship drought. But after a shocking first-round upset by the No. 8 seed New York Liberty, the Lynx's exit is another in series of postseason failures.
Coach Cheryl Reeve led Minnesota to four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) across seven years, cementing the Lynx as a perennial powerhouse. But the last nine seasons have been marred by heartbreak and missed opportunities.
What went wrong? Again?
"I feel like if we knew the answer to that, we would be translating it over," All-Star Napheesa Collier said after the Lynx were eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday, Sept. 29, following the Liberty's 87-71 Game 2 win to sweep
the series.
"That's something that obviously we have to figure out because ... we play really well in the regular season. The game is hard. I think any team could win a championship this year, the parity in the game and playoffs are another level."
If you're getting a case of déjà vu, you're not alone. The Lynx earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 WNBA playoffs, but the team's shot at redemption came crashing down in a controversial semifinal series loss that saw Collier injured and Reeve suspended in Game 3 and 4, respectively.
"We should have been in the Finals last year," Reeve said on Tuesday. "That's a season that will haunt me."
The Lynx’s 2024 postseason ended in similar heartbreak with a WNBA Finals loss to the New York Liberty. Reeve blasted the officiating and said the title was “stolen" following a decisive Game 5 overtime loss.
"You guys know the story, we didn't win," Reeve added Tuesday.
The Lynx had a chance to exact revenge on the Liberty in their first-round playoff matchup this year after another dominant regular season. They had the 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year on their side. The 2026 Rookie of the Year in Olivia Miles. A league-best 33-11 record. The No. 1 overall seed and homecourt advantage.
After dropping Game 1 to the Liberty in Minneapolis, it was win or go home for the Lynx in Game 2 in New York. Winning on the road is Minnesota's specialty. The team racked up the most road wins in WNBA history (18) during the regular season and Reeve said now was "the time to be that terrific road team."
But the Lynx walked away empty handed again, failing to record a playoff victory after a dominant regular season. Instead, Minnesota will go down in history for a reason they'd rather forget: The Lynx became the first No. 1 seed to lose a series to the No. 8 seed since the WNBA playoff format changed in 2016.
"It sucks. We're not just not going to focus on (expletive) like that. It is what it is," Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Congratulations to New York. They beat us. They beat us and we wish them well in the rest of the playoffs."
Minnesota's one-two punch of Olivia Miles and Natasha Howard failed to make an impact against New York's elite rim protection. Reeve ultimately benched Miles in Game 2 with 6:26 remaining in the third quarter after her rookie guard picked up a flagrant 1 foul. Miles finished with five points (1-of-8 FG, 1-of-4 3PT) in 17 minutes. Howard was limited to two points (1-of-3 FG) and five rebounds in 16 minutes.
"Our two best players all season long were Olivia Miles and Natasha Howard ... unfortunately for us Liv and Tasha were sort of rendered ineffective in these two games," Reeve said after the loss. "That made it really, really challenging for us. And they're a big three. We're really, really good and we struggled to have a big three. That's just not a great place to be."
The Lynx's lack of offense was compounded by defensive lapses. Minnesota was outscored 74-50 in the paint and out rebounded 74-52 on the glass in the two-game sweep, highlighting the Liberty's size advantage. The Liberty also weren't able to contain Breanna Stewart, who had 34 points in Game 1 and 21 points in Game 2. Jonquel Jones exploded for 21 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.
"New York played a great series. I don't want to take that away from them," Lynx guard Kayla McBride said. "They did everything they needed to do to win. And that's the name of the playoffs. There's a small room for error. And I feel like ... the things we needed to do to win, they were doing. And that's all it is."
🗽 NEW YORK MAKES HISTORY 🗽
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 30, 2026
The @nyliberty are the first No.8 seed in WNBA history to eliminate a No.1 seed in the First Round, defeating Minnesota 2-0!
2026 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel | @madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/oiLqkrsrkZ
Should the WNBA playoffs be longer? Cheryl Reeve thinks so
Following a tightly-contested regular-season that came down to the final day, Reeve petitioned for the WNBA's next commissioner to expand the postseason with parity at an all-time high.
The first-round of the playoffs is a best-of-three (1-1-1) series, which Reeve suggested robs fans of high-level basketball and competing teams of valuable time to make adjustments throughout a series. The semifinal round is best-of-five (2-2-1), followed by the best-of-seven (2-2-1-1-1) WNBA Finals.
"We need to expand our playoffs," Reeve said after the Lynx's regular-season finale on Sept. 24. "More games in the first and second round... Look at these eight teams that are in the field. I mean, great basketball should go as long as you can... this season is kind of rather disappointing to have just three games for these teams that are going to be playing each other for sure. But it's just maybe the next step of evolution of our league."
Reeve revisited the topic ahead of Game 2 as the Lynx faced elimination: "I really want it in this series."
The WNBA expanded its regular-season schedule from 44 games to 50 games in 2027 ahead of the anticipated arrival of three expansion teams in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030). According to the landmark CBA deal passed in March, the 2027 season can end no later than November 21 in 2027 and Nov. 30 in 2028. There is also an option for the league to expand to 52 regular-season games by 2029.
"It's exciting as we grow, but those are the next, I think, big conversations," Reeve added. "I think more games in playoffs. It's where the money is. It's probably exciting for TV partners and it's your best teams on the biggest stage. Let's play as many as we can."
What's next for the Minnesota Lynx?
The future looks bright for Minnesota with four of the team's five starters set to return next season. Olivia Miles will be back on her rookie contract, while Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams and Natasha Howard are all signed through 2027. Napheesa Collier, however, is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Collier has spent the entirety of her eight-year WNBA career in Minneapolis after the Lynx drafted her out of UConn with the No. 6 overall pick in 2019. The 2019 Rookie of the Year went on to earn five WNBA All-Star nods, four all-WNBA selections and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year. Collier signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract signed in 2026, which is set to expire at the end of the season. It goes without saying Collier will be Minnesota's No. 1 priority heading into the offseason.
Maya Caldwell and Dorka Juhasz are also set to become restricted free agents in 2027.
As for Reeve, the WNBA's all-time winningest coach? She's set to return for her 17the season at the helm of Minnesota. Reeve signed a five-year contract extension back in 2022, which is set to expire at the end of the 2027 season. Reeve has a 364-190 regular-season record throughout her tenure.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Again? Inside the Minnesota Lynx's latest playoff heartbreak and what went wrong
