All the Minnesota Lynx had to do to clinch the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs was to beat the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night.
That proved too tough for Minnesota, as they got blown out 96-77.
Luckily for the Lynx, the Golden State Valkyries lost to the Portlanf Fire, securing the top spot for Minnesota, but falling upwards isn’t ideal this late into the year.
This performance left a lot to be desired. They were outrebounded 39-32, had 17 turnovers that resulted in 21 Fever points and lost the points-in-the-paint battle by 10.
This contest became something of a self-inflicted loss for the Lynx, as head coach Cheryl Reeve benched her starting five, with the exception of Maya Caldwell, who started when Olivia Miles was a late scratch with a left calf issue, in the second half.
Here’s what Reeve said:
It was apparent that maybe rest was a better option, with the playoffs starting on Sunday.
We thought that first group would be better served, you know, saving legs, and not chase a win that wasn’t going to happen.
It’s pretty damning for a coach of Reeve’s caliber to wave the white flag so early into a game. It’s a condemnation of how the starters played, but also another sign that things haven’t been good in Minnesota for a while.
They’ve gone 6-4 over the last 10 games. Every other playoff-bound team has a superior record over their last 10 contests except for the No. 8-seed New York Liberty, which share a 6-4 mark.
So why has the quality dropped in Minnesota the very end of the season?
Good problems are still problems
Napheesa Collier’s return was a horrifying proposition for the league.
She was coming back to a team that was at the top of the WNBA, and inserting her made a title run even more inevitable than it already was.
Yet, the Lynx have gone 10-5 with Collier in the lineup. Minnesota is winning 66 percent of its games with her, which isn’t bad, but it’s short of the team’s overall 74 percent win rate this year.
Collier also hasn’t been her usual self. She’s averaging 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. While most players would happily take that stat line, the last time she produced this “poorly” in all three categories was in 2022, when she played just four games due to maternity leave.
It’s understandable that Collier isn’t at her typical MVP level. She underwent surgery on both of her ankles during the offseason, and dropping into the middle of the year and being expected to play as if nothing happened would be unrealistic.
However, the situation in Minnesota has changed. They are a legit title contender, and she’ll have to figure out how to be her dominant self with this team, or else things will end in a disappointing fashion.
The rookie wall is undefeated
Miles has dominated and looked like a seasoned veteran from day one. She’s not just an All-Star; Miles has a case for the best guard in the WNBA.
Yet recently, she has begun to slip. Over the last 10 games, she’s had some stinkers. Miles scored only eight points in a loss against the Valkyries. She shot 3-for-12 from the field along with five assists in that loss. Miles was also mediocre against the Fire in early August, scoring 13 points while converting on three of her 13 attempts.
Perhaps the rookie wall has hit Miles.
When you include her final collegiate year, she’s been playing nonstop for well over a year now. And even the FIBA break and missing this recent contest can’t make up for the fatigue and damage her body has endured.
Given that she missed this matchup and the Lynx have nothing to play for in their final game against the Fever, she might get a bit more rest before the playoffs come. She’s gonna need it. The biggest games are still on the horizon.
Is it time to panic?
Things are never as good or as bad as they seem.
The Lynx still have their biggest goal listed as achievable. They’ll walk into the postseason as the No. 1 seed, have Collier and Miles (hopefully) healthy and a head coach who’s won more than any other in WNBA history.
Are you still concerned? Do you wish there were a couple more wins in these games so their form would be better? That’s understandable.
But the title will still go through Minnesota until someone takes them down.
And this late in the year, that’s a solid place to be. It’s up for the Lynx to take advantage, protect homecourt and win title No. 5. If they do that, then this stretch will be considered a bump in the road to glory and not a warning sign of what’s to come.
