With five games left in the regular season, the Minnesota Lynx have guaranteed themselves home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
“We have a scenario now that if we win our home games, we win an WNBA championship,” coach Cheryl Reeve said after the Lynx won 94-70 at Connecticut on Saturday.
“It’s huge. Having the atmosphere of your home court plays a massive part in the games that you play,” said Alanna Smith, who led a balanced offensive attack with 18 points, a total matched by DiJonai Carrington off the bench. “Playing in front of your home crowd and getting that energy from your fans is huge. We know they’re going to bring that energy.”
The Lynx are 18-2 at Target Center this season.
And, at 31-8 overall, Minnesota has established a franchise record for wins in a season.
“You get so week to week in the league. It’s really strange. I don’t know how the players are, but I know we have never really looked at our record. When you clinch and you look at the record you go, ‘Holy cow, we have 31 wins,’” Reeve said. “What does it mean? That this group is really special, that thus far in two years they’ve won 61 games together.”
Napheesa Collier had 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. The starting backcourt of Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams each finished with 15 points, including a combined 8 for 12 on 3-pointers. Williams had eight rebounds and McBride six assists.
Carrington’s 18 points are her most in 10 games since being acquired Aug. 3 from Dallas.
“You have to guard her from the 3-point line to the midrange to the paint, so it just creates a problem for any defense. She just provides us, as well, with strong penetration. The ability she has to put the ball on the floor, and no matter who’s in front of her does not matter, she’s getting to the rim,” Smith said of her former Stanford teammate. “We have a lot of players in the team that do that and so we’re really lucky. … She’s added so much to what we already have. It’s certainly made us so much better.”
Owners of the league’s top defensive rating, Minnesota needed to regain that dominance after being outscored 60-33 in the second half of Thursday’s 93-79 loss to Seattle. The Lynx led that one by 21 in the first half.
“Defensively, we were significantly better than any game outside of maybe two of the last 10,” Reeve said.
Connecticut shot just 36.2%, including just 4 of 15 in the fourth quarter when the Lynx pulled away.
Up 12 midway through the frame the Lynx quickly erased any hope for the Sun.
Smith scored on a drive, McBride drained her fifth 3-pointer, and, after a Connecticut free throw, Collier scored on a cutting layup for an 82-64 cushion. Smith made her fourth 3-pointer and Collier converted a Williams pass for a 23-point lead.
Connecticut (10-29) entered winners in four of its previous five outings, albeit all over teams outside a current playoff spot.
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