This Wednesday marks the beginning of the WNBA playoffs. And the basketball world can’t wait to experience the thrill of the opening round of matches. The Minnesota Lynx didn’t finish the regular season as strongly as they had hoped, with a recent loss to Indiana cementing their playoff spot. The Lynx now prepares for an underdog run in the 2023 WNBA playoffs as they begin the postseason as the No. 6 seed.
Meanwhile, ahead of the playoffs, the 22YO Lynx Forward & Co. received a warning from an ESPN analyst
An ESPN Analyst issues a warning for the Minnesota Lynx
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The Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx are scheduled to face off in a highly anticipated WNBA postseason matchup on Wednesday at 8 p.m. (ET). A best-of-three series will begin with this matchup, with games two and three set for Mohegan Sun Arena on September 17 and Minnesota on September 20, respectively. The No. 6 seed Minnesota Lynx (19-21) will take on the No. 3 Connecticut Sun (27-13), At Mohegan Sun Arena with the Sun leading the all-time series 30-26.
With three victories out of the four games played this season, Connecticut has an advantage in their head-to-head matchups. The Lynx, who improved significantly from the previous year, should not be dismissed though. They were the second team in WNBA history to make the postseason with a winless start to the season, securing a playoff position despite a difficult start. Meanwhile, Terrika Foster-Brasby, an ESPN analyst gave a warning to Diamond Miller & Co. ahead of their playoffs.
Terrika Foster-Brasby believes the Lynx struggle with consistent scoring throughout the season. She said, ?“I believe they are ranked what 10 or 12th in defense. That’s going to be an issue like you can’t let teams score 80 to 90 points. You let Connecticut score 80-90 points, they are going to win. “
She continued, “And Minnesota just has not had a consistent player outside of Napheesa, and then maybe Kayla McBride who has been able to really provide a consistent scoring strategy for them. And I think that’s going to be the biggest X Factor or the biggest issue for me when it comes to them being able to kind of either steal a game or steal this series from Connecticut.”
In order for the Minnesota Lynx to be successful in the postseason, they will need to address these challenges in defensive consistency difficulties and find more reliable scoring options. The team must devise a plan to prevent opponents from playing high-scoring games while still encouraging other players to take the initiative and contribute on offense. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lyn now has three award-winning players on their team.
The Associated Press honors Minnesota Lynx players
The Associated Press has honored three Minnesota Lynx players with notable annual honors. Napheesa Collier, triumphantly returned to the court after a challenging sabbatical to bag the honor of the Comeback Player of the Year. Collier overcame the challenges of parenthood and averaged an outstanding 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds this season. She played a crucial role in the Lynx winning the sixth spot in the playoffs. Furthermore, Collier also made it to the All-WNBA second team.
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Diamond Miller and Dorka Juhasz, two exceptional rookies both made it to the All-Rookie Team. Diamond Miller, the Lynx’s first-round pick and second-overall selection averaged 12.1 points per game in her first season. On the other hand, Dorka Juhasz was chosen as the fourth choice in the second round. She stood out with 6.5 rebounds and 6 points per game.
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With three award-winning players on their team, the Minnesota Lynx have an exciting first-round playoff series against the Connecticut Sun.
Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!