MINNEAPOLIS — Courtney Williams lined up her feet behind the 3-point line, rose up and followed through. In what seemed like only a courtesy, she waited until the ball hit the bottom of the net before turning around and flexing at the crowd.
It was simply that kind of a night for Williams and the Minnesota Lynx, who punched their ticket to the WNBA Finals with an 88-77 win over the Connecticut Sun. It’s the franchise’s first trip to the finals since 2017 when Minnesota won its fourth WNBA title in seven seasons.
Williams started 6-of-6 from the floor in the first half and ended the night with 24 points, a team-high seven assists and two steals. With the offense funneling through Williams, the Lynx had their best offensive showing of the semifinals — and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Courtney Williams gets the bucket plus the foul, and her dad is LOVING IT 🔥#WNBAPlayoffs presented by @google pic.twitter.com/3x3Zrx2Lwr
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 9, 2024
Napheesa Collier led the Lynx with 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks while Kayla McBride had her best night of the postseason, finishing with 19 points and four assists.
While the Lynx had a steady cushion through most of the game thanks to a huge 31-point first quarter, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve never seemed to relax from the bench.
Napheesa Collier gives the Lynx a 13-PT LEAD at the end of the 1Q 👀#WNBAPlayoffs presented by @google pic.twitter.com/tVpFcO3MZx
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 9, 2024
The Sun overcame a seven-point deficit in Game 4 to force a decisive Game 5 (before then, the Sun were 0-15 in games they trailed by seven or more at halftime) but the 19-point halftime lead for Minnesota was far too great for Connecticut. The Sun, especially with Marina Mabrey suffering an ankle injury in the first quarter and seemingly limited thereafter, couldn’t bridge the gap from range.
Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas, usually on triple-double watch, struggled against Collier and Alanna Smith all evening. Thomas finished with seven points, six assists and three rebounds through 39 minutes.
Minnesota will face the New York Liberty, who advanced to the finals with a road win over the Las Vegas Aces, the two-time defending champs, on Sunday. The Lynx went 3-1 against the Liberty during the regular season, including a June Commissioner’s Cup win.
The WNBA Finals tip off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in New York with a 2-2-1 format.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun, WNBA
2024 The Athletic Media Company
