Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury Preview

The third-place Minnesota Lynx are heading to Phoenix to face the sixth-place Mercury in a Western Conference battle. Both teams currently hold playoff positions.

The Lynx won their last game against the Indiana Fever 90-80 with a nail-biting second half. Napheesa Collier was the star of the show with 31 points and five rebounds. Kayla McBride followed her with 19 points. Lastly, Bridget Carleton had 16 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

The Mercury lost their last game to the New York Liberty 70-84. They struggled to score in this one, with Brittney Griner being the lead with 22 points and six rebounds. Natasha Cloud followed with 18 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. Finally, Kahleah Copper had just 14 points.

Can Minnesota continue their six-game winning streak, or will Phoenix snap it tonight?

Photo byAlex PerezonUnsplash

Game Details

Fixture: Minnesota Lynx @ Phoenix Mercury

Date and Time: August 28th, 2024 @ 10:00 pm EST

Location: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ

Where to Watch: Arizona's Family Sports - Bally Sports North Extra - WNBA League Pass

Minnesota Lynx Team Review

Napheesa Collier leads the Lynx in scoring, 21.1 per game, rebounds, 10.0 per game, and steals, 2.1 per game. Courtney Williams is the leader in assists, with 5.5 per game. Lastly, Alanna Smith leads in blocks with 1.7 per game. Collier makes up a large majority of the team's explosiveness on the court, which is why she leads in so many categories.

Minnesota has consistently been a strong team. Last season, their record was low at 19-21, but they still came in sixth place. In 2022, they had a record of 14-22 to come in fifth. This season, their record is 22-8, showing fantastic improvement as time has passed. They have a solid shot at the title this year.

Phoenix Mercury Team Review

Kahleah Copper is the lead scorer for the Mercury averaging 22.6 points per game. Natasha Cloud leads in assists with 6.8 and steals with 1.6 per game. Brittney Griner is the leader in rebounds with 6.4 per game. She also leads in blocks with 1.7 per game. Griner has had a few low-rebounding games scattered through the season, though, which could be a problem.

The Mercury has had an interesting second half of the season. It's been a back-and-forth between winning and losing every single game. One of the good things that can be seen in recent games is Griner, Copper, and Diana Taurasi, who are all producing in the scoring column. They'll need this big three to come alive if they want to battle in the playoffs. They have to put up some solid games as the Indiana Fever closes in on them from behind.

Who to Watch

Minnesota Lynx

Kayla McBride had a really good game the other day and will need to have another one if the Phoenix starting five is locked in. McBride hit some key three-pointers and became a burst of energy for the Lynx against the Fever. It was a tight race to the finish, and McBride played a major part in the hustle. It'll be interesting to see if she can do it again and get her scoring average up before playoff time comes around.

Phoenix Mercury

Natasha Cloud has had some up-and-down games this season. She's been consistent in the assisting department, but her scoring isn't steady. However, she's had some big-time games this year. If she can score at least 12 points a game and keep her assists to four and up, that would be a decent game for her and a big help to the team. She's had multiple 10-assist games this season, which is great to see.

Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana