SAN FRANCISCO — Regardless of their undefeated begin to the season, the Minnesota Lynx are unhappy with what they’ve proven.
“That is the factor with expectations — we’ve got to do extra as a result of our targets are excessive,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve mentioned following Minnesota’s 86-75 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday. “We do not need to be pedestrian at something we do. There are occasions within the recreation we undergo stretches the place we’re simply not intentional. We do not acknowledge how exhausting it’s to win possession on this league and what it takes. Being extra constant in that mindset is what we’re on the lookout for.”
The Lynx took management of Sunday’s recreation within the third quarter, once they held Golden State to simply eight factors. Minnesota went on a 22-4 run that stretched from the third to the fourth quarter to push its one-point result in 22 factors.
However earlier than that run, it was a back-and-forth recreation all through the primary half.
The Lynx credited their protection for the second-half turnaround — limiting the Valkyries’ area, taking management of the tempo and executing higher. However that focus to element began at halftime — with the Lynx trailing by one — throughout an impassioned speech from Reeve.
“She was expressing her frustration with us,” Napheesa Collier mentioned. “And actually, it is actually legitimate. The truth that we all know what to do and we’re not going out to do it, it is extraordinarily irritating … we have to go on the market and take duty.”
The Lynx improved to 7-0 — their finest begin since 2017 — after Sunday’s win over the Golden State Valkyries. Photograph by Andrea Cardani/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Earlier than the sport, Reeve reminded her group, which was coming off a buzzer-beater win over the Phoenix Mercury, that it wanted to play with a excessive degree of ardour and energy.
“It is a matter of us locking in,” Courtney Williams mentioned. “We have to deliver it each evening. I believe typically we take that with no consideration. We have to cease doing that. If we need to accomplish the targets we’ve got for ourselves, we won’t be a second-half group.”
Collier completed with 24 factors and 11 rebounds however did not appear to seek out an offensive rhythm till late within the third quarter. Williams added 20 factors in 26 minutes.
Collier mentioned the third quarter in opposition to the Valkyries, in addition to different spurts through the season, is an instance that Minnesota has what it takes to be a title contender. Collier advised ESPN that she believes the Lynx’s win over the Seattle Storm was their solely “good recreation” this season.
Regardless of a 7-0 report — their finest begin since 2017 — the flashes of excellence aren’t sufficient to go away them snug.
“The aggressiveness and assertiveness that we come out with in sure video games, we have to try this in each recreation,” Collier mentioned. “We all know we are able to. We have now larger targets this season than particular person video games. And yeah, it takes particular person video games to get there or we’re not going to achieve these larger targets.
“It is actually as much as us. We’re the one ones standing in our means, which is the excellent news. And hopefully, that is the final time we’ll be speaking about this.”