The Minnesota Lynx are on the verge of securing a spot in the WNBA Finals after defeating the Connecticut Sun 90-81 in Game 3 of their semifinal series. With this win, the Lynx now lead the best-of-five series 2-1.
Although Connecticut managed to narrow the gap to 86-79 with just 1:20 left in the game, they could not get any closer as the Lynx maintained control throughout. Key contributions from Courtney Williams and Bridget Carleton, who both made crucial jump shots in the closing minute, helped seal the victory.
Napheesa Collier delivered an impressive performance, rebounding from a nine-point outing in Game 2 by scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for Minnesota. She recorded 16 points in the first half alone, hitting 7-of-10 shots and exceeding her average of 14 points from the previous games in the series.
Williams added 16 points and eight assists, while Kayla McBride contributed 13 points along with five assists. Carleton chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds.
For the Sun, DeWanna Bonner scored 16 points, moving past Candace Parker to become the second-highest scorer in WNBA postseason history with 1,159 points. Diana Taurasi remains the all-time leader with 1,455 playoff points.
Brionna Jones was a standout for the Sun, leading the team with 21 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Marina Mabrey scored 14 points, while Alyssa Thomas added 13 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, playing all 40 minutes of the match. DiJonai Carrington also contributed 13 points and five rebounds.
Despite all five starters for Connecticut reaching double figures, the bench only added four points, in contrast to the Lynx’s bench, which scored 16 points. The Sun struggled with their 3-point shooting, hitting just 3-of-20 attempts, with Mabrey managing only one successful shot out of 11 tries. This poor shooting performance contributed to Connecticut shooting 41% overall from the floor, while Minnesota excelled with a 57.4% shooting rate, led by Collier and Williams.
The teams will meet again on Sunday for Game 4, where the Lynx will aim to close out the series and secure their place in the WNBA Finals.