Bridget Carleton has seen it plenty of times. When things get difficult for the Lynx, they find a way to persevere.
“That’s what’s impressed me about our team,” the Lynx forward said. “It’s our ability to respond in hard moments. We’ve done a really good job with that this season.”
Phoenix provided the latest challenge, keeping things even with the Lynx throughout the first half Sunday night at Target Center. But the Lynx drew away with a stellar third quarter, defeating the Mercury 86-73 to clinch a spot in the WNBA playoffs in their final regular-season home game of the summer.
The Lynx outscored Phoenix 28-13 in the third quarter en route to their fourth victory in their past six games. Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier combined for 17 of those third-quarter points, as the Lynx turned a 41-41 halftime tie into a 69-54 lead.
McBride finished with a team-high 23 points, while Collier added 22 points, 16 rebounds and five assists.
The victory was the 300th in the WNBA for coach Cheryl Reeve, who has spent her entire head coaching career with the Lynx. The Lynx end the regular season at Chicago on Friday and at Indiana on Sunday.
Phoenix, which has been eliminated from playoff contention, lost its eighth consecutive game. The Mercury were missing three players because of injury, including Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. Moriah Jefferson (32 points) and Brittney Griner (17) led the way for Phoenix.
The Lynx played solid defense early, shutting down the Mercury’s inside game in the first quarter. Phoenix scored only two points in the paint, and Griner was held without a field goal on four attempts.
Though the Mercury led 20-18 after one quarter, they shot only 26%. The Lynx used a 9-0 run midway through the quarter to take a 15-11 lead, but they faltered late, as Phoenix scored the final eight points to take charge.
That Lynx lull continued in the second quarter. Two quick turnovers helped Phoenix keep its string going, as it scored six in a row to extend its lead to 26-18.
The Lynx offense sharpened up midway through the second quarter and tied the game with an 8-0 run, capped by three-pointers by Carleton and Tiffany Mitchell. Another three, this one by Aerial Powers, put the Lynx back on top, 34-33.
Collier picked up three fouls in the first half and wasn’t highly engaged in the offense, taking only five shots. But after Phoenix regained the lead with a three-pointer, Collier grabbed it right back for the Lynx. She made the free throw after a technical foul on Griner, then snared an offensive rebound on the ensuing possession and dropped in a layup for a 37-36 Lynx lead.
Rachel Banham completed a four-point play to make it 41-39, making a free throw after she was knocked down while hitting a corner three. But the Lynx sagged at the end, as Sug Sutton stole the ball and scored on a fast break to tie it 41-41 at halftime.
The Lynx started the second half on a tear, using a 13-4 run to build a lead they would hold the rest of the way. While Griner scored the only points for the Mercury in that stretch, McBride and Collier teamed up to take charge. They combined for 13 points during that critical time, which began with Collier sliding along the baseline for a layup and ended with a McBride layup.
That gave the Lynx a 56-46 lead. The margin would grow to 69-54 at the end of the third quarter, and the Lynx would lead by as many as 18 in the fourth.