Napheesa Collier is the WNBA’s leading scorer in the postseason, but it isn’t her made baskets that matter when the Minnesota Lynx face the Connecticut Sun in the decisive Game 5 of their semifinal series on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
It’s the opponents’ missed baskets that Collier will focus on as the two teams clash to determine who advances to play the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals.
Minnesota is trying to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017. That season, the Lynx won their fourth title in a seven-season span.
Collier is averaging 27.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in the postseason. The regular-season MVP runner-up had 29 points and 13 rebounds in Sunday’s Game 4 when the Lynx lost 92-82 on the road.
Collier wasn’t pleased that her squad allowed 77 points over the final three quarters.
Connecticut’s Tyasha Harris was the surprise star with 20 points after she shot 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
Harris was scoreless in 13 minutes in the series entering Game 4. She missed Game 1 with an ankle injury and mostly sat and watched the next two games.
Connecticut is looking to reach the WNBA Finals for the third time in six seasons. The Sun lost to the Washington Mystics in 2019 and the Las Vegas Aces in 2022.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve has been in these clashes before. And watching her team get outscored 49-32 in the second half with a chance to clinch the series left her with a bad taste in her mouth.
