Lynx fall to Sun 73-70 in Game 1 of WNBA semifinals

MINNEAPOLIS — The question was: Which of the top two defenses in the WNBA would do a better job taking the other team out of its offensive rhythm better.

Sunday night’s answer: Connecticut.

The third-seeded Sun took Game 1 of the best-of-five WNBA semifinal series with a 73-70 victory over the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx at Target Center.

But strap in, this could be a series.

The game featured 13 lead changes and eight ties.

The Lynx shot 41.5%, but the best-shooting three-point team in the WNBA in the regular season struggled from there, hitting just 5-of-20 attempts..

The Sun didn’t.

Connecticut shot 40.9% on threes, going 9 for 22 from behind the arc, with Marina Mabrey leading the way. She made 6-of-10 threes while scoring a game-high 20 points.

Up a point early in the fourth quarter, the Lynx made just 2-of-15 shots over the final 6 1/2 minutes of the game.

Bridget Carleton hit on three of six three-pointers and scored 17 points for Minnesota. Napheesa Collier scored 19 points with nine rebounds. Kayla McBride scored 12.

The Lynx were out-scored 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Starting point guard Courtney Williams scored eight with four assists and four rebounds, but shot 3 for 12.

Within a point late in the fourth, Alyssa Thomas (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) scored. After Collier scored to make it a one-point game, but Thomas scored again with 11.7 seconds left. The Lynx were unable to get a good shot off.

There were seven lead changes and two ties through the first 5 minutes of the game.

But that created a little space for itself after that. Carrington scored five points in a 9-0 run that broke a 14-all tiek putting the Sun up nine. After going 0 for 3 with two turnovers during that run, Collier finally hit a shot clock-beating turnaround to make it a seven-point game heading into the second quarter.

Continuing to get the ball inside, the Sun led by nine mid-way through the second quarter.

But Myisha Hines-Allen’s drive to the bucket started a 15-0 run that included two threes from Carleton a stretch that included eight straight scoreless possessions by the Sun — that put the Lynx up 35-29 on Alanna Smith’s three-point play with 3:40 left in the half. Finally, Mabrey’s three with 2:56 left ended a 4-minute Sun scoreless streak.

That was the start of a strong Connecticut response. Mabrey’s three was the start of a 13-3 run to end the half that had the Sun up 42-38. The half’s big stat? a 14-4 edge on points off turnovers for the Sun.

As has happened so often this season, the Lynx won the third quarter. This time: 24-15.

Kayla McBride scored eight points in the quarter, during which Minnesota held the Sun to 6-for-16 shooting.

Connecticut led 54-51 with 4:36 left in the quarter, but Minnesota out-scored the Sun 11-6 the rest of the way, with Williams’ three-pointer hit home with less than 3 seconds left in the quarter, putting the Lynx up 62-57.

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