Minnesota Lynx had won three of four games against Phoenix during the regular season, and all came by double digits. The Mercury beat the visiting Lynx 81-80 for their lone victory on June 8. So Game 1 of the first-round battle between the two was anticipated to be a lackluster matchup. However, the excitement ramped up in the final three minutes as fans finally got clarity on who would emerge victorious.

Eventually, the Lynx claimed the win, but it was a close call, finishing just seven points ahead (102-95). Yet, there’s a lingering question: what if Brittney Griner had made a more significant impact on the game? The veteran’s performance has now come under scrutiny, casting doubt in the mind of Sheryl Swoopes.

In the latest episode of her podcast with Jordan Robinson, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes dove into the heart of the WNBA playoffs, making it the focal point of their discussion. As they dissected each game, the former Houston Comet star couldn’t help but pose a thought-provoking question during their conversation about the Mercury versus Lynx matchup. “So my, I don’t know if it’s, if it would be a bad or an ugly, cause I’m just curious. Where was BG (Griner)?,” asked Swoopes via Queens of the Court.

Jordan Robinson quickly validated Swoopes’ question during their podcast conversation, mentioning ‘That is an ugly, she only had 10 points’. Swoopes elaborated, pointing out that no player on the court could effectively defend Brittney Griner and she should have seized that opportunity. With a nod to Shaquille O’Neal’s iconic alert, she said, “You have got to get in the paint on the block. And, like, Shaq says, ‘barbecue chicken’.”

While Swoopes’ comments on her podcast may come off as tough on Brittney Griner, there’s a grain of truth in them. If the Baylor alum had capitalized more on the opportunities she had, the Mercury could have sidestepped a challenging battle and potentially secured a more favorable outcome, especially given the height advantage that the 6-ft-9 center stands at.

When the first round kicked off between the Mercury and Lynx, expectations were low for the Mercury. Yet, there was a glimmer of hope for them because of their combined roster playoff experience of 203 games compared to Minnesota’s 130. Not to mention, Brittney Griner stepped in as their second-leading scorer on the roster. However, it didn’t quite materialize.

Griner, who was there in the starting lineup after averaging 17.8 points per game in the regular season, struggled to find her rhythm in the first quarter. She took four shots from inside the arc but managed to sink only one. Unfortunately for the Mercury, things didn’t improve in the second half. The 10x WNBA All-Star took three more attempts, yet none of them found the bottom of the net. She did, however, manage to score two points from the free-throw line during this quarter, but it was clear she wasn’t having the impact fans had hoped for.

However, in the fourth quarter, Griner’s 6-foot jump shot narrowed the lead to a single point before Natasha Cloud briefly gave the Mercury the lead. While expectations loomed large over the veteran Griner, it was Cloud who truly shone, finishing the game as the top scorer, alongside leading in assists and rebounds. Unfortunately for the Mercury, the guard’s impressive performance wasn’t enough to overcome the Lynx, who ranked as the second-best defensive team in the regular season.

The Texas-born ended the night with only 10 points, with four of those coming from the free-throw line. Despite attempting 10 shots, she managed to convert just three, resulting in a disappointing shooting percentage of 30% from the field.

“She (BG) has to have more of a presence in game two, if Phoenix is going to try and force a game three,” mentioned Swoopes as Mercury ‘got to do what works for them’ if they want to continue their title run and also give another franchise icon, Diana Taurasi, probably another last chance to shine at the Footprint Center. While Brittney failed to stand, Minnesota had its star shining through.

Napheesa Collier highlights Lynx’s “unselfish” squad

Minnesota’s forward Napheesa Collier scored a playoff career-high 38 points as the Lynx blew a 23-point lead before rallying late. She sank 11 of 19 shots from the floor with three 3-pointers and 13 of 14 free throws for Minnesota, while also adding six rebounds and four assists.

She finally finished four points behind the New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart’s playoff record of 42 points. In 2022, Stewart scored that while playing for the Seattle Storm in a 97-92 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 4 of a Western Conference semifinal. Collier also tied Maya Moore to become the only Lynx player to score 38+ points in a playoff game. But that was not the only flair of her brilliance.

Her precision at the free throw line was remarkable where she shot 13-of-14, matching a franchise record for FTs in a playoff game held by Seimone Augustus. To put it straight, her performance was as comprehensive as it can be. Head coach and president of basketball operations, Cheryl Reeve was evidently happy as she read through Collier’s stat line after the game.

“First player in league playoff history. So Phee just kind of continues on this tear of being the first to do these things. The great thing about Phee is it’s just so much more than scoring. That’s why it’s so special. That’s why she’s first in league history to do so many things because she’s a boxscore stuffer, it’s well beyond scoring,” Reeve correctly pointed out. On the other hand, Collier credited her teammates.

“I think I was just taking open shots, and my teammates got me a lot of easy shots. Playing with Courtney [Williams] in the pick and roll, finding situations where we could take advantage of their defense. Really, the same as every game with my team, I think we just play so well together. We have so many assists on all of our baskets, and I got a lot of easy shots because of the unselfishness with our team,” Collier said. Indeed, the unselfish act paid the team well.

The team not only led the league in total assists (921 for an average of 23.0 assists per game), but it was also tops in assists percentage for both 2-point field goals (66.8%) and 3-pointers (97.4%). In one more instance of team spirit, Williams also returned the favor to Collier.

“I mean you’ve got to guard Phee, when we’re in the pick and roll (that means) leaving me open sometimes, hesitating a little bit, so it makes the game easier for me for sure. It’s super special. Phee’s been doing this all season. For it to be highlighted on the (playoff) stage, I think that’s just a testament to the player she is,” Williams said about how Collier opens things up for her teammates at shootaround. The praise also rightfully received the support from Reeve, adding the latest chapter in Collier’s MVP runner-up season. It remains to be seen whether the Mercury can hold off the super-united Lynx squad as they face each other in Game 2 at Target Center.