Napheesa Collier led the way again, this time with a career-high 42 points, as the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Phoenix Mercury 101-88 to sweep their first-round playoff series on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
After downing the Mercury 2-0 in a best-of-three series, the second-seeded Lynx advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs where they will face the third-seeded Connecticut Sun.
The Mercury finished with a losing record for the third straight season.
Collier shot 14-for-20 from the floor and also contributed five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Collier hit 12 of 14 free throws. According to ESPN, she became the first player in WNBA history to score 35 points or more in back-to-back postseason games.
Four other Minnesota players scored in double figures. Kayla McBride put up 15 points, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith each had 12, and Courtney Williams tallied 11 points and six assists.
Brittney Griner led the Mercury with 24 points and added five rebounds and two blocks. Natasha Cloud logged 16 points and 10 assists, Kahleah Copper wound up with 13 points and Natasha Mack had 12.
In what might have been the final WNBA game of her career, 42-year-old Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi scored 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting and also had four rebounds and three assists before fouling out.
Phoenix led by eight points in the first quarter as Taurasi sank two 3-pointers, but the Lynx cut the deficit to four entering the second period.
Minnesota grabbed the lead back in the second with a 19-6 run that featured seven points from Smith and saw her assist on a 30-foot 3-pointer by Carleton. The Lynx held a 49-47 edge at halftime.
The Mercury took the lead once more in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from Kahleah Cooper, but the Lynx responded with a 14-4 run that was capped off by a 3-pointer from Smith. A 7-0 fourth-quarter surge ending with a layup from Collier gave Minnesota its biggest lead of the night at 18 points.
Key for the Lynx was their ability to take care of the ball. They committed just seven turnovers while forcing the Mercury into 15. Minnesota scored 24 points off Phoenix’s turnovers.
Minnesota will host Connecticut in Game 1 on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
