The Phoenix Mercury may have knocked off defending champions New York Liberty, but they are now behind one game against the Minnesota Lynx in their best-of-5 semifinal. The game will still be held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, which means the Mercury need to step their game up in order to catch up.
Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx Key Players To Watch
Minnesota Lynx:
- Napheesa Collier has been a double-double machine, and she leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, as she averages 20.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She is expected to have another monster game against the Mercury and carry the Lynx once again.
- Guard Kayla McBride is another scoring threat that the Mercury must contend with. However, while Collier is more of an inside threat, McBride can sink a dagger into Phoenix from the outside, and she can also punish them at midrange.
- Courtney Williams is Minnesota’s floor general. The playmaker leads the team with six assists per game, though she can also be an outside threat if needed, so double-teaming McBride or Collier might not be a good idea as it could leave Williams open, and she has proven that she could sink those shots.
Phoenix Mercury:
- Forward Alyssa Thomas leads the Phoenix Mercury across three categories and will be the anchor for the team. She averages 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, making her the top priority to stop for the Lynx whenever she has the ball.
- The Mercury have some very good forwards, and Satou Sabally is certainly one of them. She is one of the best defenders in the league, averaging 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game, though she is certainly no slouch on the offensive end either, averaging 14.3 points per game, and she also averages three assists per game.
Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx Stats
- Points per game
Minnesota: 86
Phoenix: 75.8 - FG%
Minnesota: 47.2%
Phoenix: 39.5% - 3PT%
Minnesota: 33.3%
Phoenix: 25.8% - Rebounds
Minnesota: 35.7
Phoenix: 38.5 - Assists
Minnesota: 22.7
Phoenix: 19.5 - Blocks
Minnesota: 2.7
Phoenix: 1.8
What’s At Stake In Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx?
For the Minnesota Lynx, they will be going to Arizona with a big 2-0 advantage and plenty of momentum. They will also just be one game away from the WNBA finals.
As for the Phoenix Mercury, winning Game 2 would mean that they are coming home to just needing two wins to secure their WNBA Finals spot, and they hold home court with their next two games.
The winner of this series will be facing the team that will win the Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces series in the WNBA Finals.
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