Minnesota Lynx host Connecticut Sun in decisive Game 5 with trip to the WNBA Finals on the line
The Minnesota Lynx will have home court advantage in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals against the Connecticut Sun in a matchup that may look familiar to last year's postseason.
The Sun eliminated the Lynx in the first round last season with a victory at Minnesota in the decisive Game 3.
The winner of Tuesday's game will face the New York Liberty.
Connecticut won Sunday to force the winner-take-all showdown. The Sun took Game 1 of this series in Minnesota before losing the next two games.
"The atmosphere over there the first two games was absolutely insane. I can only imagine what it would be like in a Game 5," Sun forward DeWanna Bonner said after the Game 4 win Sunday. "We just got to focus in on each other and we have each other. ... They're championship fans, they won multiple championships. So, they're hungry for another one. So, you know it's going to be crazy."
Minnesota fought all season to have homecourt in a winner-take-all series.
"You work so hard in the regular season because you want this advantage," said Napheesa Collier, who had 29 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota in Game 4. "Obviously you want to go home for that game and since we are, it's really nice to have that homecourt advantage."
Throughout this postseason, Collier has averaged just over 27 points and 9 rebounds, hitting over 40% of her three-point shots. Kayla McBride is averaging just over 12 points and 2 rebounds.
The Lynx are 2-1 in Game 5's with all of those appearances coming in the WNBA Finals, the last of which was in 2017 when they beat Los Angeles. That year, the Lynx won their fourth championship in a span of seven years.
Since that victory the Lynx are 1-4 in winner-take all games in the playoffs. Connecticut has had more success, going 5-2 in it's last seven winner-take all contests.
"Both of these franchises have been here," Connecticut coach Stephanie White said. "We have a lot of players on our roster that have been here that understand certainly what it takes and tonight's effort is not going to be good enough.
"We expect them to make adjustments. We'll make some tweaks and adjustments as well. ... It's about players making plays," White added. "It's about the extra efforts, the hustle plays. It's about not being denied and finding something deep inside of you that just allows you to come out on top."
The first two games of the series had a chippiness to them with physical play and trash talking contributing to the intensity. There was less physicality in Game 3 but that changed on Sunday. In the elimination game, the intensity increased as players on both teams were physical and there was on-court jawing after several plays.
Players said it is just playoff basketball.
"I think we've been here, thank goodness, for the first two games. So we know what it kind of feels like," Bonner added. "And, we'll be prepared to to handle it. Just gonna stay locked down."
Whoever wins Game 5 will have a short turnaround to the Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in New York.
