Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals is Tuesday night at Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx will attempt to win their second straight against the Phoenix Mercury, and get one step closer to a return trip to the WNBA Finals.
The Lynx used a strong second half to win the opener, and head coach Cheryl Reeve says that shows the players can figure things out on their own.
"It's a mature group, emotionally mature," Reeve said after the Game 1 win. "I didn't do anything to bring that along. That's just who they've always been. Sometimes you unite a group through their disdain for me. I think that's also one way to do it. So there's probably a little bit of that too."
This is a best-of-five series with Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday, both of those games in Phoenix.
"You know, both teams, you know, did a lot of things they wanted to get done and now we go look at some things and then obviously Tuesday's game will be just as hard," said Reeve, who knows what it takes to win in the postseason after leading the Lynx to four previous championships.
Reeve is also now the winningest WNBA coach of all-time if you include the playoffs.
For downtown Minneapolis, this Lynx drive for five is having a positive impact on downtown Minneapolis restaurants as well.
Eryn is a bar Manager at Kieran's Pub, just across the street from Target Center.
"Yeah, it's been really great, been picking up," she says. "At the beginning it was kind of like maybe people were more skeptical about, like if we were gonna take it far. But here we are and yeah, people are really starting to show up."
But are Lynx fans just as boisterous as Wolves fans? Eryn says they draw a much different kind of crowd.
"I would say probably the opposite, maybe. The Timberwolves people go kind of more for the spectacle of it all, and kind of to maybe drink and have fun and the lengths people are really going, because they really care about the team and like support the team," she explains. "So yeah, it's actually a a more more mellow crowd. The Lynx fans are kind of an earlier crowd so they'll come and do like dinner and and relax and then they all kind of take off early. They all wanna get to their seats and watch them all warm up and stuff. But yeah, we'll definitely fill up and get the patio going."
And the further Minnesota goes, the busier they'll get.
Phoenix Mercury (27-17, 13-11 Western Conference) at Minnesota Lynx (34-10, 20-4 Western Conference)
Minneapolis; Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
WNBA PLAYOFFS SEMIFINALS: Lynx lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Lynx host the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA playoffs semifinals with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Lynx defeated the Mercury 82-69 in the last meeting. Courtney Williams led the Lynx with 23 points, and Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 22 points.
The Lynx are 20-4 against Western Conference opponents. Minnesota averages 86.1 points while outscoring opponents by 9.4 points per game.
The Mercury have gone 13-11 against Western Conference opponents. Phoenix is fifth in the Western Conference scoring 34.3 points per game in the paint led by Alyssa Thomas averaging 14.0.
Minnesota averages 9.6 made 3-pointers per game, 1.7 more made shots than the 7.9 per game Phoenix gives up. Phoenix averages 9.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 more made shots on average than the 7.8 per game Minnesota allows.
TOP PERFORMERS: Alanna Smith is averaging 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for the Lynx. Napheesa Collier is averaging 17.3 points over the last 10 games.
Thomas is averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.6 steals for the Mercury. Satou Sabally is averaging 2.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lynx: 7-3, averaging 83.6 points, 34.9 rebounds, 22.7 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.4 points per game.
Mercury: 5-5, averaging 78.6 points, 35.9 rebounds, 20.8 assists, 7.8 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 41.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.4 points.
INJURIES: Lynx: None listed.
Mercury: None listed.