How Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx Control Games With Efficiency

In a day and age where every team’s rushing to find wins, the Minnesota Lynx love to take it slow. With a pace rating of 79, Napheesa Collier and her teammates aren’t gunning for fast-breaks; they’re setting up for open looks and good shots. And it seems to be working, because their 30-7 record didn’t build itself! Cheryl Reeve’s half-court brand of basketball and emphasis on defense have kept her team at the top of the league, where they belong.

Sprinting down the court in transition takes a lot out of you, and that’s exactly why the Lynx seem energetic during crunch time: They reserve their energy for what’s more important. Barring instances like their 111-58 win against the Aces, Minnesota doesn’t run the fast-break often. Instead, they dominate in the fourth quarter, putting up 20.1 points on average, and conceding only 17.8. The stamina that they save helps the players to keep a defensive chokehold when the game is on the line. 

Minnesota, despite having speed on its side, has only averaged about 11.2 points a game through fast-breaks over its last five fixtures, giving us a clearer picture of its particular brand of basketball. Considering that they allow only 74 PPG, while putting up 84.45 a game, it really shows what Cheryl Reeve considers important. 

But the beauty of controlling their pace means that options are always open for the team. In their most recent fixture against Atlanta, the Lynx showed that their change of speed is lethal! They nearly ran the Dream off the floor, putting up 20 points in transition, taking a commanding lead in the third quarter. Although this was one of their rare losses this season, it showed that Minnesota has many aces up its sleeve. So, even though they’ve lost a couple of close games, Napheesa Collier’s team has an average spread of 6 in the 2nd half. Which means that they’re normally pretty good at converting leads into wins.

What’s even better is that their MVP candidate, Napheesa Collier, is leading by example. In her first game back from injury, Collier stunned the Indiana Fever with a 32-point explosion. But it’s not just one game for her, it’s every night. There are several statistics that point to this fact. A crucial cog in the team’s victory, Napheesa Collier shows up whenever her team needs it. She is averaging 23.9 PPG and 7.6 RPG, setting up her team for success on the offensive end. Not to mention, ‘Phee is currently averaging 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game – she can truly do it all! Alongside the strong defensive presence of Alanna Smith, who is putting up 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals a night, it’s no wonder the Minnesota Lynx have a strong defensive rating of 94 points. 

Because of their deliberately controlled pace, the Minnesota Lynx also have a very high points per possession at 1.07. Basically, Cheryl Reeve’s squad averages over a point per possession, speaking to just how efficient their scoring truly is. Their opponents have a very simple choice: Outscore and outdefend the best team in the league, or lose. It’s pretty safe to say, in all but 7 games, they had no other choice but to lose.

There’s nowhere to run with the Lynx. In fact, if you’re playing at the Target Center and you’re not Minnesota, there’s a high chance you’re already holding an L. It seems like the Minnesota home stadium has made the team impervious, as they maintain a near-perfect record at 18-1. So, if you’re slated to play against the Lynx at home, you’d better hope they’re having an off day. That’s the only way you have a fighting chance.