The Minnesota Lynx are on the verge of clinching a spot in the WNBA Finals after defeating the Connecticut Sun 90-81 in Game 3 of their semifinals series. The Lynx now lead the best-of-five series 2-1.
Despite a late surge by Connecticut, which trimmed Minnesota’s lead to 86-79 with just 1:20 left in the game, the Lynx maintained control throughout. Key jump shots by Courtney Williams and Bridget Carleton in the final moments secured the victory for Minnesota.
Napheesa Collier had a standout performance, rebounding from a disappointing nine-point effort in Game 2 to lead her team with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Collier scored 16 points in the first half, going 7-for-10 from the field and surpassing her average of 14 points from the earlier games in the series.
Williams contributed 16 points and eight assists, while Kayla McBride added 13 points and five assists. Carleton chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds.
On the Sun’s side, DeWanna Bonner scored 16 points and made history by surpassing Candace Parker for second place on the WNBA’s all-time playoff scoring list, now holding 1,159 points compared to Parker’s 1,149. Only Diana Taurasi, her former teammate, has more postseason points at 1,455.
Brionna Jones was the top scorer for Connecticut with 21 points, alongside four rebounds and five assists. Marina Mabrey added 14 points, while Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington both scored 13 points, with Thomas also contributing nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Sun’s starters scored in double figures, but their bench managed only four points, while the Lynx saw 16 points from their reserves. Connecticut struggled with three-point shooting, going 3-for-20 overall and missing nine straight attempts at one point, with Mabrey finishing just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc. This poor shooting contributed to the Sun’s overall field goal percentage of 41%, while the Lynx excelled with a 57.4% shooting performance.
Game 4 of the series is set for Sunday, where the Lynx will aim to close out the series and secure their place in the WNBA Finals.