Mercury seek 1st series win vs. Lynx since 2015
The Phoenix Mercury haven’t won a regular season/playoff series over the Minnesota Lynx since 2015. Or three straight in the regular season since 2005.
They can accomplish both Wednesday in the first of back-to-back home games against the Lynx, but it won’t be easy.
The Lynx are 7-7, same record as the Mercury, and arguably playing their best of the season. They certainly are much better than in the season opener against the Mercury on May 14 when Diana Taurasi’s 3-pointer with a second left gave Phoenix a 77-75 win.
Minnesota has won three of its last four games, most recently over Las Vegas 90-89 in overtime Friday. U.S. Olympians Sylvia Fowles and Naphee
sa Collier had 30/14 and 23/10 doubledoubles against the Aces with Layshia Clarendon adding 20.
The 6-6 Fowles is WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week.
Collier didn’t play in the first game vs. the Mercury and Clarendon was picked up by the Lynx after being waived by New York. Guard Aerial Powers, though, is out 8-10 weeks due to thumb surgery and missed time before that with a hamstring injury.
“They’re playing much better than they did at the start of the year, and you knew that was going to happen,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “Collier is a big difference. She’s very versatile, strong getting to the rim and rebounding.
“They’re posting up way more. Sylvia has been playing great. Clarendon has been a really nice fit. She’s a really good playmaker, smart and a good passer to their post players. They’re a dangerous team.”
The upshot is that Phoenix and Minnesota, who also play Saturday, are among seven WNBA teams with seven or eight losses going into this week trying to create some upward mobility before the Olympic break starting July 12.
The Mercury have won two in a row over Los Angeles and now have star guard Taurasi back from injury.
In an 88-79 win over the Sparks on Sunday, the Mercury very nearly had all five starters score in double figures.
Brianna Turner fell just short at eight while pulling a season high 15 rebounds. Taurasi broke 20 points (25) for the first time this season and 229th in her 17year WNBA career.
The Mercury had five starters in double figures in two of their first four games, including against the Lynx, before Taurasi went out with a sternum fracture and are at their best, Brondello said, with that scoring balance.
“Her basketball IQ is second to none,” said Kia Nurse, who scored 13 Sunday. “When she’s on the court and running that point guard position, her ability to see passes before they happen puts you in positions where you can be successful. She does that for each and every once of us. I would love to be in her mind during a game to see what’s going on there. She does a really good job of making sure all of us are getting into places where we can be successful.
“You have to respect Dee’s ability to shoot the ball. For any defense, it’s pick your poison of the day. She does open up the spacing and the passing ability opens up the spacing as well because you know when Dee has the ball there’s an opportunity to find a really good open shot.”
The Lynx have won 20 of the last 23 meetings with the Mercury including playoffs. They split in the 2020 regular season then Minnesota won 80-79 in a second-round playoff single elimination game.
The Mercury’s last three-game win streak in the series was in late July/early August 2005, Taurasi’s second season. Their longest win streak ever vs. the Lynx was four in 2000/2001.