Or maybe the Fever just dialed things up a bit after falling behind early.
“I don’t know if it was being more physical,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I think we were just a little more disruptive. Got into passing lanes. Didn’t allow them to just pass the ball. Made their movements more difficult. Our intensity was better.”
The Lynx set season lows in points, shooting (34.9%) and assists (13) and tied a season low in field goals made (22). Their 27 first-half points was a season low, and their seven points in the second quarter marked Minnesota’s lowest output in a quarter all season.
After falling behind by nine early in the third quarter, the Lynx never got closer than six points again.
“We always want to play our best basketball,” Smith said. “And so we have to take this game to heart. Learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don’t do it again.”
Last year, the Lynx won the Commissioner’s Cup title by beating the Liberty in New York. This week, some Minnesota players talked about how that game was a turning point in the season, a victory that showed the team how good it could be.