The Minnesota Lynx looked like a team of destiny all summer, steamrolling through the WNBA schedule with the best record as they worked to avenge their loss in the Finals last season.
The dream fell apart in less than a week.
"To be close two years in a row, and hit adverse situations each and every time, for the people that you love, your sisters, your family, it hurts," said All-Star Kayla McBride who led the shorthanded Lynx Sunday with 31 points.
The top-seeded Lynx saw their season come to an end Sunday when they lost 86-81 to the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of the playoff semifinal. Minnesota lost its third straight game, blowing a 13-point lead to start the fourth quarter to end the best-of-five series.
McBride did what she could, dropping in six 3-pointers in the second half — but it wasn't quite enough to force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Minneapolis. The short-handed Lynx played Sunday without suspended coach Cheryl Reeve and All-Star guard Napheesa Collier, who suffered an ankle injury near the end of Game 3.
The 33-year-old McBride fought back tears in the postgame press conference.
“I've been here five years and to be so close — you just want it for the people around you. The ones with you every single day,” McBride said. “Good days, bad days, bus rides, locker rooms. In pro sports, it doesn't get any better than what we have. That's why I'm emotional.”
Minnesota was among the favorites to get back to the Finals this season after falling in five games to the New York Liberty in 2024. Reeve said the title had been “stolen” from them thanks to poor officiating in Game 5.
One year later, officiating was another big factor in the Lynx's playoff exit.
Reeve was suspended for Game 4 because of her behavior and comments toward officials in Game 3, leaving Thibault in charge. The suspension — on top of Collier's injury — proved too much to overcome.
"Everything' going on in the last couple days that - the way these guys came out and played and took their run in the in the 2nd quarter and came out and did the same thing again in the second half, at a certain point that's who you are," associate coach Eric Thibault said after the game. "And that's who these guys have been now for a long time. And you know, I was just really appreciative of the way everybody played and competed."
Minnesota looked well on its way to the Finals less than a week ago after winning Game 1 over the Mercury on Sept. 21. But the Lynx coughed up a 20-point lead in Game 2, falling 89-83 in overtime, starting a tailspin.
Without their coach and star guard, the Lynx fought valiantly on Sunday, leading 68-55 after three quarters.
But they couldn't stop the Mercury down the stretch. Minnesota has won four WNBA titles in franchise history — in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.
It'll be at least one more year before it can add a fifth.
“It's hard — especially when we left everything out there,” McBride said. “As a vet, somebody who is older, I feel everything, because I just care about the people around me.”
The full meltdown from Reeve shines another very bright light on WNBA officiating. She said the league has an issue with physical play getting out of control.
“When you let the physicality happen, people get hurt, there’s fights, and this is the look that our league wants for some reason,” Reeve said. “We were trying to play through it, trying not to make excuses.”
Her suspension game after what is a no-no in any sports league - blasting game officials.
“The officiating crew that we had tonight — for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worthy — is (expletive) malpractice,” Reeve said.