What has made this year’s team exceptional is fit, chemistry and cohesion.
As productive as Reese is, she did not elevate her team, which is struggling to hold onto the eighth spot in a 12-team league.
The players Reeve chose to acquire — Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith in the offseason, Myisha Hines-Allen during the season — have been vital to the Lynx’s improvement. They play the way Reeve wants players to play, emphasizing ball movement, unselfishness and defensive connectedness.
Williams is the point guard Reeve has been searching for since Lindsay Whalen retired. Smith is a versatile “big” who protects the rim and, like Collier, can defend all over the court.
Hines-Allen played on a championship team in Washington. She made an immediate impact with the Lynx. Has she figured out why Minnesota is winning?
Hines-Allen said the Lynx “are playing for each other,” communicate well and hang out off the court. “A lot of times, when you’re always together, you want to go to your room and be by yourself,” she said. “Not this team. We hang out and build that chemistry and it translates on the court.”