Lynx lose at Atlanta, drop second straight game: 'The sky isn't falling'
Lynx miss another chance at WNBA's top seed: 'The sky isn't falling'
The Minnesota Lynx lost 89-81 at the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, missing another chance to lock up the WNBA's top seed for the playoffs. The Lynx are 31-9 and now take two weeks off for the FIBA World Cup. Cheryl Reeve, Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride spoke with media postgame.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The sky isn’t falling for Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, but for just the second time all season, they’ve lost two straight games.
Lynx lose at Atlanta Dream
What we know:
The Lynx lost at the Atlanta Dream 89-81 on Sunday, missing out on another chance to lock up the No. 1 seed and home court advantage in the WNBA Playoffs. On Aug. 24, the Lynx could’ve secured the No. 1 seed at home, but lost to the Golden State Valkyries 80-66.
The Lynx are 31-9 with four regular season games to play, and have a 2.5-game lead over the Valkyries for the No. 1 seed.
"The sky isn’t falling for me, it can for you. I know you’re not used to us losing two in a row, but it’s not related," Reeve said. "We don’t have a problem offensively. There’s not a systemic problem, we didn’t respond well to physicality."
‘It’s a good look at what the playoffs are going to be’
Reeve said multiple times after Sunday’s loss the Lynx didn’t respond well to Atlanta’s physicality.
The Lynx trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter before cutting the deficit to seven. That’s as close as they got before the Dream pulled away for the win.
Olivia Miles led the Lynx with 21 points and five rebounds, but didn’t record any assists. Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride each had 17 points.
What they're saying:
Collier and McBride each said after the loss the Lynx didn’t match the Dream’s intensity or physicality.
"We have to toughen up and exploit the physicality. It’s a hell of a lot better finding this out now and going through it now. When we get to the playoffs, we’re going to understand what desperation from another team feels like," Reeve said.
FIBA World Cup break
The WNBA is taking a break from regular season play due to the FIBA World Cup.
What we don't know:
The Lynx get 19 days off, and are back on Sept. 18, hosting the New York Liberty at Target Center. The Lynx had the top seed last year before losing to the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Semifinals. The Lynx haven’t won a title since 2017.