Their backs against the wall, the Minnesota Lynx showed the heart of a team wanting a championship.
From left to right, Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard, Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack and Lynx forward Alanna Smith battle for the ball during the first half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Samantha Chow)
But a team that led the WNBA standings from the outset and finished with a league-record 34 regular-season wins will not get a chance to compete for the ultimate prize.
The shorthanded Lynx were again dominated in the fourth quarter Sunday night and fell 86-81 to Phoenix in Game 4 of a best-of-five semifinal series. The host Mercury won the final three games, the only time all season Minnesota lost three in a row.
“In pro sports, it doesn’t get any better than what we have in our locker room, and that’s why I’m emotional because we lay it out for each other. … For the people that you love, your sisters, your family this (bleep) hurts,” said Kayla McBride, who had a postseason career-high 31 points, including six 3-pointers. “I wouldn’t trade that locker room for anything. I would feel like this 100 times over to be with the people I’ve been with. That’s why it’s painful, because you want it to keep going.”
Courtney Williams added 17 points and six assists, and Jessica Shepard was thrust into the starting lineup and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Minnesota played without Napheesa Collier, who was on the bench in a walking boot after injuring her ankle in Game 3 in a late collision with Alyssa Thomas. As the players collided, Thomas made a steal, Collier’s ankle turned in an ugly way, and Thomas scored alone on a layup.
DiJonai Carrington #3 and Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx watch warmups before Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on Sept. 28, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It ultimately led to coach Cheryl Reeve being suspended by the league for Game 4 for “conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner upon her ejection with 21.8 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, inappropriate comments made to fans when exiting the court, and remarks made in a postgame press conference.”
Associate head coach Eric Thibault was not surprised by the Lynx resiliency.
“I think everybody already knew it about this team, I don’t think they had to prove it tonight, but it’s another example of it. The way we came out to start the game,” he said, referencing early 12-1 and 14-3 leads.
“With everything that’s gone on the past couple days the way these guys came out and played and took their run in the second quarter (24-13 Phoenix) and came out and did the same thing in the second half (30-17 Minnesota in the third quarter). At certain points that’s who you are, and that’s who these guys have been for a long time.”
Minnesota led by 13 going into the final 10 minutes but was outscored 31-13 in the fateful fourth quarter. In the last three games, Phoenix outscored Minnesota 87-43 in the final frame and overtime.
“They switched and they made it hard for us, and we just didn’t get enough quality shots down the stretch,” Thibault said. “We did a good job taking care of the ball, but we got up against the shot clock on a bunch of possessions.”
Phoenix scored 22 of the first 25 points in the quarter for a 77-73 lead. Leading by three, Thomas took advantage of a sleeping defense for a driving layup and an 81-76 advantage with 27 seconds left. The Mercury were 10 of 12 from the field in the fourth quarter.
Treys by the StudBudz — Williams and Natisha Hiedeman — got the Lynx within 84-81 with 5.2 seconds left, but Minnesota got no closer.
McBride made all four of her 3-pointers in the third quarter — Lynx were 6 of 7 as a team — as part of the 30-point frame and a 68-55 Lynx led with 10 minutes to play. It was the highest-scoring quarter of the series for Minnesota.
Minnesota, 3 of 16 in the final frame of Friday’s Game 3, missed nine of its first 10 fourth-quarter shots and finished 5 of 18.
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