Collier scores 42 as Minnesota Lynx advance to WNBA Semifinals

Napheesa Collier joked that she should have made her free throws after scoring 42 points and tying a WNBA single-game playoff scoring record in Wednesday night's 101-88 win over the Phoenix Mercury.

Collier, who tied Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry for the 42-poiont record, went 1 for 2 from the free throw line in the waning moments of the game.

"It's not like I sit back and thing about how many points I need to score to break a record," Collier said. "I'm just playing for my team, trying to win a game, and I'm trying to take advantage of what the team is giving me. It's not like I'm going out there with a point goal in my head. I'm just trying to win the game. At the end of the day, that's all that matters to me."

Collier's performance Wednesday night came after her 38 point performance in Game 1, becoming the first player in WNBA history to score 38-plus points in back-to-back playoff games. Her 80 points during that span are the most points over a two-game stretch in WNBA history.

Five Lynx players finished with double figure scoring totals (Kayla McBride 15, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith each had 12, Courtney Williams had 11 points).

Smith told reporters after the win that their second-half defense is what helped move them past Phoenix.

"We did have a chat at halftime about getting back to what we needed to do," Smith said. "We knew that they were going to come out really, really hard this game and be desperate this game. Halftime was a chance to answer that desperation that they showed in the first half. I think we did a good job of matching their intensity."

Minnesota plays Connecticut Sunday night at Target Center. The Sun advanced in the playoffs on Wednesday with an 87-71 win over Indiana.

Tickets for Round 2 go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.