Minnesota Lynx don't need to panic after Cup loss. But it may be time for adjustments

New York Times

a day ago

MINNEAPOLIS — When Minnesota Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve and her staff looked at their roster in the offseason, they had the typical questions that linger after a season that ended within inches of a WNBA title.
How much do we need to adjust? What else could push them over the hump? If they tinkered, would it be just to tinker? And is there value in that?
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Amid all the dissection and reflection, Reeve kept coming back to one question: What was the common thread among the Lynx's best wins, performances and moments?
The answer was clear: their team chemistry. Each of the biggest moments of the year, both from a team and individual perspective, found its roots in the chemistry developed by the players. And that required no tinkering.
'It's kind of our superpower. The connection that they have. The belief that they have. Their love for each other is something that's so organic,' Reeve said. 'The core of our identity was our chemistry. … Is (that) repeatable? And we made the determination that it was. And it has been.'
It was an aspect of the Lynx that, coming into Tuesday night's Commissioner's Cup game — an intraseason WNBA tournament with a $500,000 pot for the winner — stood out most to Indiana coach Stephanie White. She complimented the Lynx for looking even more connected this season than last. She specifically highlighted how evident that is in Minnesota's offense, which leads the league by a significant margin in defensive rating and assist percentage.
'The nuance of having each other's backs on the defensive end, of knowing where your teammate is going to be. … The connectivity they have on the offensive end of the floor, the way they move with and without the ball, the way the ball moves make it really tough to cover,' White said. 'I often say that offense is like a dance, and they are flowing. They are making music.'
final. pic.twitter.com/WpQPo8mpoo
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 2, 2025
Through most of this season, the Lynx's soundtrack has been something along the lines of the first notes of 'We Are the Champions' or the dual trumpet opening in the 'Rocky' theme song. They've blasted the early indicators that set up this season as a redemption (or revenge) tour for a hungry and talented team of returners who have looked to be the crème of the crop in the WNBA.
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Collier has been every piece of the ego-less engine Minnesota needed her to be, and her teammates have followed her lead. While other teams in recent years stockpiled stars with closets full of All-Star appearances, All-WNBA awards and Olympic gold medals (hello, Liberty and Aces), the Lynx have tapped into a chemistry that can supersede even more-talented rosters.
Except when it doesn't.
Like on Tuesday night. When the dance became dysfunctional and discordant, and the Lynx lost a game that seemed winnable, heck — especially with Caitlin Clark on the bench with an injury — dominatable.
However, the Lynx, after establishing an early first-quarter lead, fell out of rhythm and got impatient offensively. Whether it was easy missed layups or some calls that they might've disagreed with or the mounting sense that the game was getting away from them, they looked completely un-Lynx-like. There wasn't chemistry. And it looked like Minnesota needed far more than a small tweak to get back on track.
'We have a tendency sometimes to get impatient,' Reeve said. 'Our commitment to move into basketball and creating advantages — we had a hard time getting that done.'
That impatience is antithetical to their chemistry. There's an ease with how Lynx players compete together, and how they flow through a game that shows they believe things will eventually start rolling and plays will stack on one another, that Minnesota will eventually … be Minnesota. But that just didn't happen against Indiana.
Instead, the Lynx produced their third loss of the season, falling 74-59 at home to the Indiana Fever in the Commissioner's Cup championship. The defeat marked a second flare sent up in recent weeks, a disappointing loss reminding Minnesota that it needs more than just chemistry to overcome teams that are as talented (or less talented). The first warning came three weeks ago when the Lynx lost in Seattle, giving up 94 points.
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Reeve was blunt then: Their defensive identity wasn't established in the game, and Minnesota didn't play well enough to beat the Storm. Full stop.
The second came last week. Without Collier, Minnesota's core couldn't hit shots against Washington.
And again, on Tuesday night against the Fever, the Lynx's identity — this time, offensively — couldn't be found past that first 10 minutes. As the hole got deeper, no player ­— not even Collier, who matched her season-low in shooting percentage — could dig out Minnesota. Courtney Williams, after hitting her first two shots of the game, went 2 of 12 the rest of the night.
Kayla McBride joined Williams, knocking down her first shot in the first quarter … and then going 0 of 6 the remainder of the game. Bridget Carleton managed only two shots (both misses) in nearly 27 minutes. Natisha Hiedeman, the Lynx's usual spark off the bench as a rebounder, scorer and passer, finished with three points, no rebounds and no assists.
In Minnesota, it's not yet time to panic. But to adjust and tinker? Perhaps.
Maybe there are levers Reeve can pull that can send Minnesota's chemistry into overdrive, or an override button that can be pushed when it seems like the basket has a cover on it or the team isn't itself on defense. This loss should sting, not just because the Lynx had to listen as the Fever showered in champagne and enjoyed the dreams of half a million dollars in their collective pocket. It should sting because when Minnesota is Minnesota and that chemistry is on full display, when the melody works and the rhythm is easy to follow, the Lynx are the best team in the league. And when that chemistry isn't on display? They're human.
Last season, their Commissioner's Cup win was an announcement to the rest of the league that the Lynx were title contenders. It was a turning point of sorts. This year, even with an opposite result, it can be the same. Minnesota knows it'll only get so many wake-up calls (and at least this one doesn't impact their win-loss record).
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'We got exposed in some areas and we know we can't show up like we did today if we want to be in the finals at the end of the year,' Jess Shepard said. 'Last season, they took the victory as a turning point. I think this year you can learn a lot from today.'
For now, Minnesota's superpower is still its superpower. Their chemistry can trump a lot, including talent and teams that start players with more All-WNBA nods than the non-Collier starters will ever sniff.
Games like Tuesday's indicate that when the Lynx don't show up as themselves, when that chemistry isn't leading the team, what becomes repeatable are the losses. And that's a thread Minnesota wants to avoid.
(Photo of Courtney Williams and Natasha Howard: Matt Krohn / Getty Images)