For a team with 33 regular-season wins, coached by four-time WNBA champion Cheryl Reeve, and with stars like Napheesa Collier and Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles, anything other than a championship was considered a failure. But the Minnesota Lynx did not even manage to reach the WNBA Finals, rather becoming the first top seed in league history to be swept by an eighth seed in the first round of the playoffs.

It was a complete 180 from what we saw of them throughout the regular season, and their abrupt exit left shockwaves around the WNBA fraternity. However, former college basketball player Rachel DeMita believes that others missed something about the Lynx that she did not: the end of their regular season already foreshadowed their upcoming playoff struggle.

“The Lynx going in the first round, I don’t think was as surprising to me as it maybe was to the rest of the world. Will it be a disappointment if the Lynx don’t win at all? Yeah, to them, because they had a great regular season. I still think that in the postseason it was just a few games off for everyone, and we saw them kind of slow down at the end of the season.” DeMita told The Athletic’s Annie Costabile, who said she was surprised by the Lynx’s early exit, on the No Offseason podcast on YouTube.

“I also think the Liberty just had such a chip on their shoulder, they just wanted it so bad,” DeMita added.

While the Lynx were more or less flawless throughout the regular season, we did see their form drop off around the FIBA Women’s World Cup break.

Reeve’s side won only two of its last six games, and their form became concerning when we realise the teams they lost to during this stretch. The Golden State Valkyries, Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, and Indiana Fever all enjoyed comprehensive victories over the top seed. And as we know, all of them were heading to the postseason as well.

One of the reasons for the Lynx’s late-season collapse can be traced to the injury of their gem, Olivia Miles. The rookie guard played only two regular-season games following the World Cup break as she was battling a left calf strain.

It was clearly not a good look for Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve ahead of the playoffs, and unfortunately for her, it was only about to get worse. As Rachel DeMita stated, the New York Liberty came to the playoffs with a chip on their shoulder.

This is because the 2024 WNBA champions experienced a rather underwhelming regular season compared to their high standards. Finishing as an eighth seed was nothing to be happy about for head coach Chris DeMarco’s side, and World Cup MVP Breanna Stewart wanted the world to know just how lethal they could be come the playoffs.

It is also worth mentioning that the Liberty already had two wins over the Lynx in the regular season. So at that point, seeding did not really matter for a side as rich in experience as the Liberty. And they delivered on that front to the fullest.

To sum it up in a single sentence, the Liberty’s Big 3 outplayed the best Minnesota had to offer. Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu all outperformed their Lynx counterparts. Stewart took her gold medal, World Cup MVP-winning form right to the Lynx, scoring 34 and 21 points in each game, respectively. Ionescu did what she does best and splashed shots from outside the arc in crucial moments, all while showcasing her brilliance in playmaking.

But Liberty’s biggest victory on the court came from the way they defended Olivia Miles. The ROTY is known for driving and passing to the paint and finishing tough layups. But the duo of 6’4 Stewart and 6’6 Jones felt otherwise, as they clogged the paint with their physical presence over the 5’10 Miles, completely neutralizing her offense.

And that was indeed visible on the stat sheet, as Miles found the hard way that the playoffs are a different beast compared to the regular season. The rookie guard scored 11 points and eight rebounds in Game 1, with only 25% field goal and three-point shooting efficiency. However, Game 2 was even worse for Miles, as she recorded only five points and two rebounds on 12.5% field-goal efficiency. She was not even on the court by the end of the fourth quarter, playing only 17 minutes.

Following the Lynx’s exit from the playoffs, Reeve said that they “became a great regular season team this year”, but “ran into the wrong team” in the playoffs. This makes sense, as Reeve’s undersized squad struggled to defend against taller, more physical teams this season. Apart from the Liberty, their games against the Atlanta Dream are also a great example, a team that is now in the WNBA Finals.

The coming offseason is about to be an important one for the Lynx. After all, the future of Napheesa Collier remains undecided, as she will be an unrestricted free agent. Collier has not yet given an ultimatum, and fans on social media believe she is more out than in, especially after Reeve’s comments on the situation.

“Phee knows exactly what exists here, the care, the love, all the things that have been poured into her. She’s well aware of all of that. This is a Phee decision, and it’s probably more than basketball. And so wherever she lands, it’s going to be because whatever she chooses, whoever she chooses, is the right place for her.” Reeve said about Collier.

“Sometimes you stay, and sometimes you go, because maybe there’s something … I don’t say better, but maybe better for her. And that’s something I respect … She knows what’s here. If she lands on being here, great. If there’s something better for her, that’s life.”

Next year will mark a decade since the last time the Minnesota Lynx had their hands on the WNBA championship. While they have come agonizingly close to it since then (a 3-2 loss against the Liberty in the 2024 WNBA Finals), this offseason will be critical in deciding where the team is heading next season.