SAN FRANCISCO — Regardless of their undefeated begin to the season, the Minnesota Lynx are unhappy with what they’ve proven up to now.
“That is the factor with expectations — we now have to do extra as a result of our targets are excessive,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve stated following Minnesota’s 86-75 win over the Valkyries on Sunday. “We do not need to be pedestrian at something we do. There are occasions within the recreation we undergo stretches the place we’re simply not intentional. We do not acknowledge how laborious it’s to win possession on this league and what it takes. Being extra constant in that mindset is what we’re in search of.”
The Lynx took commanding management of Sunday’s recreation within the third quarter, the place they held Golden State to simply eight factors. Minnesota outscored the Valkyries 22-4 from halfway of the third quarter to the center of the fourth to push a one-point lead as much as a 22 factors.
However up till that time, the 2 groups traded buckets all through the primary half.
The Lynx level to their protection as the explanation for the second-half turnaround — getting within the Valkyries’ area extra, taking management of the tempo and enjoying with higher execution. However that focus to element began within the locker room at halftime — when the Lynx have been trailing by one — with an impassioned speech from Reeve.
“She was expressing her frustration with us,” Napheesa Collier stated. “And actually, it is actually legitimate. The truth that we all know what to do and we’re not going out to do it, it is extraordinarily irritating… we have to go on the market and take duty.”
Even earlier than the sport, Reeve reminded her staff — which was coming off of a slim buzzer-beater win over the Phoenix Mercury — that they wanted to play with a excessive stage of ardour and energy.
“It is a matter of us locking in,” Courtney Williams stated. “We have to deliver it each night time. I feel typically we take that as a right. We have got to cease doing that. If we need to accomplish the targets we now have for ourselves, we will not be a second-half staff.”
Collier completed with 24 factors and 11 rebounds however did not appear to totally discover an offensive rhythm till the latter portion of the third quarter. Williams added 20 factors in 26 minutes.
Collier factors to the third quarter in opposition to the Valkyries, in addition to different spurts all through the early season, as proof that Minnesota has what it takes to be a title contender — their final purpose. Collier informed ESPN that she feels their win over the Seattle Storm was the one one she’d categorize as a “good recreation” for the Lynx.
Regardless of a 7-0 file — their greatest begin since 2017 — the mere flashes of excellence aren’t sufficient for them to be snug,
“The aggressiveness and assertiveness that we come out with in sure video games, we have to do this in each recreation,” Collier stated. “We all know we will. We have now greater targets this season than particular person video games. And yeah, it takes particular person video games to get there or we’re not going to succeed in these greater targets.”
She continued: “It is actually as much as us. We’re the one ones standing in our method, which is the excellent news. And hopefully, that is the final time we’ll be speaking about this.”