Banners. That’s what you see when you look up at the ceiling of the Target Center in Minneapolis. Banners that scatter the rafters, most of them painted in Lynx blue and green. Banners that tell the story of a dynasty, four championships stitched into fabric but etched even deeper into WNBA history. For years, the Lynx needed no validation beyond those banners. Even this season, when the only award in hand was half a Defensive Player of the Year nod, there were no regrets. Because the mission was simple.

Add another banner. Add one that reads “2025 WNBA Champions.” But instead, what hangs in the air now isn’t a banner. It’s questions. Questions about what comes next, questions about whether the rafters will ever rise again.

Let that sink in… the Minnesota Lynx’s season has ended, and again, it did so in heartbreaking fashion. For a team that entered the postseason with the No. 1 overall ranking, the season’s finish is almost cruel. The Lynx had a year that, in their eyes, was defined by injustice. After feeling the title was “stolen” due to poor officiating in prior seasons, they came into 2025 fueled, determined, and ready to prove everyone wrong.

And for most of the regular season, they did just that. Minnesota finished with a franchise-high 33 wins, the league’s top-ranked offense, and the best defense in the WNBA. They claimed the No. 1 overall seed and home-court advantage in the playoffs. On paper, they were the team to beat. But in a cruel twist of fate, it all came down to an 86-81 loss in Game 4 against the Phoenix Mercury, where officiating controversy once again took center stage.

WNBA reporter Noa Dalzell summed up the disappointment well.

“So for the Lynx, this is a very disappointing season. You know, they were the best team in the league all season long. They had a four-game lead over the Aces and a seven-game lead over the Mercury. Those seven games? They don’t matter anymore. In this series, they lose three to one.”

 That seven-game difference in the regular season barely seemed to matter during the semifinals. Many predicted the series would go four or five games in favor of the Lynx, but it was the Mercury who closed it out in just four. Game 4 was a battle, and the Lynx went into it short-handed. Both head coach Cheryl Reeve and captain Napheesa Collier were absent – Reeve serving a one-game suspension after her fiery response to the chaotic Game 3 officiating, and Collier ruled out with a left ankle injury she suffered in the final minute of that same game.

It was a true win-or-go-home scenario, and Minnesota let a 13-point fourth-quarter lead slip away. Losing to a lower-seeded team is one thing; losing under these conditions feels like something else entirely. Dalzell highlighted the crux of the issue: “Your MVP goes down, and next thing you know, this team was really not favored to win this game, right? A couple of players struggled, and the season ended in heartbreak.”

Which brings up the big question: Does Collier have enough help around her? Some of the Lynx’s key players didn’t show up when it mattered most. Courtney Williams had moments of brilliance but was down, too. Alanna Smith didn’t live up to her Defensive Player of the Year status. Natisha Hiedeman had flashes but faded at crucial moments, and Bridget Carleton couldn’t provide the offensive spark needed in the clutch.

Even Kayla McBride, who carried the team in Game 4 with 30 points, was visibly emotional afterward. “It’s the people!” she said when asked what makes her emotional the most, highlighting the tight-knit nature of the locker room and perhaps, in a way, acknowledging that this core might not remain the same next season. Indeed, while six players from last year’s Finals roster returned, things are bound to shift next year.

Veteran players across the league will hit free agency, forcing tough decisions on who returns and at what price. Minnesota faces the challenging task of reconstructing a roster through free agency, contract extensions, and trades. Some players will demand more than the team can offer. Others may need to be retained using the single-core designation or qualifying offers for restricted free agents.

And all this is happening under the shadow of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. Players, including Collier herself, have publicly prepared for the possibility of a lockout or work stoppage. It’s a complicated off-season that will determine the Lynx’s path forward. Then there’s Collier’s personal future and legacy.

Dalzell reminded everyone of just how quickly things can change in the WNBA. “A bad week at work can spell the end of a season. It can spell the end of an era. You know, I don’t know what’s going to happen with this Minnesota Lynx team,” she said on WNBA Today on CLNS.  And she’s right. The Lynx managed a 5-2 record in her absence during the midseason, but the playoffs laid bare the fragility of building around a single MVP-caliber player. One injury can end a season.

And with the team’s collapse in the playoffs, questions loom if Collier can realistically lead this group back to contention before the roster ages out or requires a reset. She’s already the face of the franchise, but can she elevate her status to the level of Sylvia Fowles or Maya Moore without another Finals appearance, or even a WNBA title? The answers will come in the offseason moves.

How the Lynx approach their offseason now will say a lot about the team’s future. For now, the good news for Collier and fans is that her injury isn’t long-term.

Napheesa Collier avoids fracture after game 3 injury

We know the ending of Game 3 on Friday was chaotic. The Minnesota Lynx fell 84-76 to the Phoenix Mercury, but the real story came at the final moments, when Napheesa Collier went down hard. Driving from the top of the arc, Collier had the ball snatched by Mercury star Alyssa Thomas, who made significant contact with Collier’s leg in the process. As she hit the floor, the replay showed Collier rolling her ankle, immediately sparking concern across the league.

Naturally, the play raised questions, but Mercury quickly denied any wrongdoing by Thomas. Head coach Nate Tibbetts addressed the situation during the pregame press conference before Game 4. “First off, everybody in our organization feels bad for Phee. You hate seeing a player, any player, especially one of her caliber, go down in a series like this. It stinks. It stinks for them. It stinks for the competition,” he said. But Tibbetts didn’t stop there, preempting the inevitable follow-up about intent. “The second thing is if anyone thinks AT made that play on purpose, that that was a dirty play, it is just straight up out of line, in my opinion.”

Meanwhile, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was fired up and even suggested during Game 3’s post-game presser that Collier “probably has a fracture,” which only heightened the panic before the medical update came through. Thankfully, reports confirmed that Collier avoided a fracture in her left ankle. The team noted further testing will determine the severity of the sprain and provide a clearer recovery timeline.

Collier is expected to return to action in the Unrivaled, which will be the first chance fans get to see how she’s progressing.