UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut Sun are no strangers to needing a win in Minnesota to advance in the playoffs.
The Sun eliminated the Lynx in the first round last season with a victory at Minnesota in the decisive Game 3. They’re in a similar position one year later. The teams meet Tuesday in Game 5 of their semifinal matchup with a trip to the WNBA Finals at stake the opportunity to face New York.
Connecticut won Sunday to force the winner-take-all showdown. The Sun took Game 1 of this series in Minnesota before losing the next two games.
“The atmosphere over there the first two games was absolutely insane. I can only imagine what it would be like in a Game 5,” Sun forward DeWanna Bonner said after the Game 4 win Sunday. “We just got to focus in on each other and we have each other. … They’re championship fans, they won multiple championships. So, they’re hungry for another one. So, you know it’s going to be crazy.”
The first two games of the series had a chippiness to them with physical play and trash talking contributing to the intensity. There was less physicality in Game 3 but that changed on Sunday. In the elimination game, the intensity increased as players on both teams were physical and there was on-court jawing after several plays.
Players said it is just playoff basketball.
“I think we’ve been here, thank goodness, for the first two games. So we know what it kind of feels like,” Bonner added. “And, we’ll be prepared to to handle it. Just gonna stay locked down.”
Minnesota fought all season to have homecourt in a winner-take-all series.
“You work so hard in the regular season because you want this advantage,” said Napheesa Collier, who had 29 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota in Game 4. “Obviously you want to go home for that game and since we are, it’s really nice to have that homecourt advantage.”
The Lynx are 2-1 in Game 5’s with all of those appearances coming in the WNBA Finals, the last of which was in 2017 when they beat Los Angeles. That year, the Lynx won their fourth championship in a span of seven years.
Since that victory the Lynx are 1-4 in winner-take all games in the playoffs. Connecticut has had more success, going 5-2 in it’s last seven winner-take all contests.
“Both of these franchises have been here,” Connecticut coach Stephanie White said. “We have a lot of players on our roster that have been here that understand certainly what it takes and tonight’s effort is not going to be good enough.
“We expect them to make adjustments. We’ll make some tweaks and adjustments as well. … It’s about players making plays,” White added. “It’s about the extra efforts, the hustle plays. It’s about not being denied and finding something deep inside of you that just allows you to come out on top.”
Whoever wins Game 5 will have a short turnaround to the Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in New York.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Forward Napheesa Collier (24) of the Minnesota Lynx drives as forward Alyssa Thomas (25) of the Connecticut Sun defends, during the first half of Game 2 of a WNBA basketball semifinals game, at Target Center, Tuesday, October 1, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Bettcher)