Minnesota trailed the Sky by 10 points in the final two minutes of the second quarter Monday in Chicago, and appeared to be in danger of dropping consecutive games to the same non-playoff team in a three-day span.
But the Lynx closed the half strong, utilizing an 8-0 run to pull within two at the break.
The catalyst? Three forced turnovers to go with a blocked shot.
Minnesota led the Sky by five at the start of the final frame. That lead was still just seven with fewer than four minutes to play, but then came a three-possession stretch within the span of a minute in which Minnesota forced three turnovers, all of which resulted in Lynx layups on the other end to effectively put the game on ice.
The Lynx forced eight turnovers in total in the final frame, on a night in which the Sky committed 19 turnovers that led to 24 Minnesota points.
“It takes a lot out of you physically to make plays against some pretty good pressure. We improved as the game went on,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Then we were trying to be opportunistic going the other way. I thought the game just physically got hard, and that’s what we were hoping — that we could wear them down. I think that happened a little bit.”
Lynx basketball at its finest.
Minnesota point guard Courtney Williams noted the team’s identity is rooted on the defensive end. Minnesota surrenders just 95.4 points per 100 possessions, the league’s best mark by more than two points.
And while the Lynx are also offensively astute, their production on that end jumps to new heights when the opportunities are derived from defensive success.
The league-leading Lynx have an afternoon date with second-place Phoenix on Thursday at Target Center. Minnesota dropped a bout in Arizona last week thanks to a fourth quarter in which the Mercury scored on 11 of their final 13 possessions while the Lynx’s offense sputtered a bit down the stretch.
One often correlates with the other. Such is the case in modern basketball, where success within pace often drives the most success. Set defenses are really good. The team that is more frequently able to catch an opponent on its heels is often the victor at game’s end.
It’s why Minnesota is so good. The Lynx have scored 21.7% of their points off turnovers, the highest ratio in the WNBA. That number plummets to 15.7% in the team’s four losses this season.
In wins this season, the Lynx score 20 points a game off turnovers while allowing 13. In losses, they give up 18 points off turnovers, while getting just 12 of their own.
It’s a lifeblood of this team’s dominance.
It’s why it’s so noticeable when the Lynx aren’t as dialed in with their defensive pressure. Because the scales can tip rather suddenly. But when Minnesota is at its peak, as it was down the stretch in Chicago — frustrating its opponent with persistent ball pressure — the Lynx are tough to beat.
Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier credited the Minnesota guards for their perimeter pressure against the Sky, as well as their active hands from the back when Chicago did get the ball into the post. All of that increased Minnesota’s number of deflections.
“They’re getting their hands in there, trying to get the traps, trying to get their hands on the ball; it’s just so helpful,” said Collier, the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. “It allows us to try to get into transition and get those easy points.”
“We know when we bring energy and we lean into our defense,” Williams said, “our offense follows.”
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