The Lynx were about 1½ hours away from playing the New York Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
Late in her pregame interview, Reeve noted that nobody expected the Lynx to be in this game when the season started, that few people were talking about the Lynx when the season began.
“We don’t want you guys to talk about us,” Reeve said. “We’re making you talk about us.”
That didn’t stop in Minnesota’s 94-89 victory at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.
After a high-scoring first half, the Lynx (13-3 heading into a game that doesn’t count in the standings) took control in the fourth quarter after a personal 9-0 run by Breanna Stewart had turned a 10-point lead into a one-point game with just under 6:55 left.
But Bridget Carleton had a three-point play and a three-pointer and Napheesa Collier scored five points in an 18-8 run that put the Lynx up 88-77 on Carleton’s three-pointer — her sixth of the game — with 1:51 left.
The Liberty (15-3) rallied, but not enough. In the end, Minnesota’s 27 points on 21 New York turnovers were too much to overcome.
Carleton played one of the best games of her career. She made eight of 10 shots, six of eight threes, had four rebounds, five assists and 23 points. Collier scored 21. Cecilia Zandalasini had a career-high 15 off the bench. Both Courtney Williams (11) and Kayla McBride (12) scored in double figures.
Stewart scored 24 for the Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu had 23 — but only five in the second half — and Kayla Thornton had 17.
The Lynx scored the final six points of the third quarter on threes by Carleton and Zandalasini. Then they scored the first four of the fourth — a 10-0 run in about 108 seconds — to go up 70-60 with 9:01 left.
Stewart then had a personal 9-0 run with a three, a three-point play and a three and suddenly it was a one-point game with just under 7 minutes left.
But that’s as close as they got.
Williams scored. Alanna Smith got a steal and fed Carleton, who scored, was fouled and made the free throw. McBride followed a Thornton three with one of her own. Collier hit a three. Finally, Carleton’s three put the Lynx up 11.
Both teams shot better than 50% in a first quarter that saw a few good-sized runs
The first: Down 9-5 early, the Liberty went on an 11-2 run to go up 16-11 on Stewart’s three-point play with 3½ minutes left in the quarter.
Minnesota responded with a 9-4 run to tie the game at 20 on McBride’s three-pointer on the break after a New York turnover. But the Liberty scored the next seven points before Zandalasini’s three-point play with 19.3 seconds left pulled Minnesota within four entering the second quarter.
Again in the second quarter, the Lynx struggled to slow the Liberty attack. Zandalasini scored the first seven Lynx points in the quarter to tie the game at 30.
And then the Liberty started hitting from everywhere. Thornton hit two threes and Ionescu scored 11 points in a 17-7 run that put the Liberty up 10 with 3½ minutes left in the half.
Reeve called a timeout. Then the Lynx came out and scored eight straight points — McBride and Carleton hit threes and Collier scored in the paint — and the Lynx were within two with just over 2 minutes left in the half.
The Lynx got within a point on Smith’s rim-running basket, but Vandersloot scored the half’s final points, putting New York up 50-47.
The half ended with both teams shooting better than 54%. The Lynx made six of 13 threes in the half but the Liberty was 8-for-15. The Liberty’s 50 points was the most scored in a half vs. the Lynx this season.
But it was a different game in the second half.
The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.