Yahoo Sports women basketball writer Cassandra Negley breaks down what she expects to see from the Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx semifinal matchup, and notes how big of a role defense will play for the two teams.
Video Transcript
The Minnesota links and the Connecticut Sun will face off in the semifinals.
This best of five series starts with two games in Minnesota.
And if you like defense, this is the series for you.
Both teams are incredibly strong defensively, they’re actually pretty even offensively too.
Of course, the defense on the Minnesota side is led by Nafisa Collier who is having an incredible season overall but combined for 80 points in Minnesota’s first two play off games.
Those were wins against Phoenix.
Keep an eye on her to continue to be on fire for Minnesota.
This is a team that shares the ball incredibly well and can light it up from three point range.
Now, we saw the Sun shut down the fever on the perimeter in the first round.
This is going to be a little bit trickier with feet inside, but the Connecticut Sun also rely on defense.
The key for them will just be to have games like they did for Melissa Thomas when she and 25 points in that game too to lead the charge.
Of course, Marina Mabry, her addition to this Sun team at mid season cannot be overstated.
She is also having an incredible playoff so far clutch threes that have been the absolute dagger for the Sun to advance the sun are making their sixth consecutive semi finals appearance.
They’ve made the finals a few times in that run but still do not have a title for the franchise.
I think this is going to be a fun series to watch an incredibly close series in those regular season games.
There was no margin more than five by the time the final buzzer sounded, this one is going to be such a close match up that I have the links down as who I thought was going to win coming into this.
But I actually changed my mind.
I think it’s going to be the sun in four, but either way it should be an incredible semifinals to watch.
