Phoenix, Washington rally to advance in WNBA playoffs
Phoenix and Washington don’t have much time to rest after pulling off double-digit comebacks to advance in the WNBA playoffs. Both teams open the semifinals on the road Tuesday night with the fifth-seeded Mercury visiting No. 2 Los Angeles and the sixth-seeded Mystics at No. 1 Minnesota. The Mercury and Mystics needed big rallies to get to Tuesday night. They become the seventh and eighth teams to win on the road when they trailed by 14 or more points according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“We really didn’t change that much up at the half,” Washington coach Mike Thibault said. The Mystics were down by 14 to the New York Liberty in the second quarter before Kristi Toliver got going. She finished with a Mystics franchise playoff record 32 points, hitting nine 3-pointers. That’s the new WNBA mark for 3s in a postseason game.
“I’ve never witnessed something like that, but to be on court and be on the right side of it was unreal,” Elena Delle Donne said. “We just rode her wave today - she was unconscious, but that’s her. I mean, I grew up watching her. That was her in the national championship game (for Maryland), so when she’s going off like that, we just do all the other little things and let her go.”
Phoenix faced a 17-point deficit in Connecticut in the second quarter before rallying for the win. “We called a timeout, and I think everyone was just searching for something,” Taurasi said about being down 17. “There comes a time in games if you are just going to lay down or fight back and try to get back into it. And at that moment, we said, ‘Lets’ just go back, take each possession, and try to do our best.’ And we did that.” Here’s a look at a few other tidbits from those two series.
WELCOME BACK WHALEN
Lindsay Whalen missed the final 12 games of the regular season with a broken left hand, but a bye to the semifinals ensured she will be back in time for the playoffs. Surely there will be some rust, but just having her back will help the Lynx, who are in search of their fourth title in the past seven years.
The Lynx will play their playoff games at the University of Minnesota because of scheduling conflicts. Their normal home, Target Center, was shut down for the summer as its being upgraded in time for the Timberwolves to open their home schedule on Oct. 20. The Lynx played at the Xcel center during the regular season, but with preseason NHL starting soon it wasn’t available for the playoffs. So Minnesota turned to “The Barn,” one of the oldest arenas in the United States. Lynx owner Glen Taylor spent more than $1 million to bring some improvements to the building to accommodate the team and league, including air conditioning units that are generally not needed with the Gophers take the court in the fall.