The Lynx suffered a surprise loss last week against the Los Angeles Sparks, in a game which Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve described as “every player playing badly at every position.” While that defeat ended their 10-game win streak, it wasn’t enough to knock the league leaders off the top of the standings, and they bounced back by beating the Aces and the Wings, becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs.

Although the Lynx exited the playoffs after three straight losses against the Mercury in the semifinals, this year the espnW WNBA Countdown panel believes they are the strongest contenders.

“This is a team that truly, when you talk about contenders, they have to be at the very, very top,” Elle Duncan said on August 9, ahead of the Sparks vs. Valkyries tipoff.

“Observing them, they look like a team with no weaknesses. No weaknesses. The only team in the WNBA, top two in both offense and defense. And Olivia Miles is the head of the snake, and she makes everyone better. She makes everyone else’s job so much easier. K-Mac (Kayla McBride) is getting those shots because Olivia Miles has the IQ to make sure you continue to find her,” added Chiney Ogwumike.

“And look at the shot chart here, 43-point career-high WNBA record, 10 made threes. And so I’m impressed by her. I’m impressed by Natasha Howard. I know it was a quieter game from Courtney Williams, but they have threats at every level. And the threats are committed to playing defense as well, which is why I feel like this is the year for them to win.”

“It’s effortless for them, and that, to me, is dangerous for everyone else.”

The Lynx do indeed have the second-best offensive rating in the league, at 114.1, closely behind Indiana’s 114.6. They also have the third-best defensive rating, at 103.3, as per WNBA advanced stats. They don’t allow their opponents to benefit from their mistakes, having an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.69, the third-best in the league.

They are not just getting on the board; they are doing it quite efficiently as well. They have a TS% (True Shooting Percentage) of 58.6, the fourth-best in the league. 

On paper, this might be the year the Lynx can finally land silverware, having last won the title in 2017. They suffered a surprise exit in the postseason in the semifinals, losing the series 1–3 to the Phoenix Mercury last year.

However, not everything is perfect in Minnesota, as they still have some issues to iron out.

Minnesota Lynx lacks bench depth and struggles against physical teams

Almost everything is in sync as far as the Lynx’s main squad is concerned. They now have Napheesa Collier back, which makes them even stronger.

The Lynx’s starting lineup, generally featuring Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard, and Napheesa Collier, is a well-oiled machine. 

However, their roster depth is a major concern. Injuries to Napheesa Collier, Dorka Juhasz, and Emma Cechova at various points during this season have made them rely heavily on their starters for production. A single injury to a core player could severely compromise the entire rotation.

Minnesota also struggles with defensive rebounding. Their lack of elite frontcourt size makes it difficult to consistently grab defensive possessions on the opponents’ first shot.

“46 points in the paint. Literally, a team can get whatever they want on us… That’s what I watch for 40 minutes,” said head coach Cheryl Reeve while saying that they need to focus on “player-led defense” if they want to iron out the kinks.

That being said, even though the Minnesota Lynx have lost seven games so far this season, they have avenged six of those losses already, never losing to the same team twice. In fact, the Los Angeles Sparks have been the only team who have been able to solve the Lynx puzzle after losing their first encounter of the season against the league leaders.

After losing their first clash against Minnesota 97-86 on the road, this time they beat the Lynx 89-82. So while they have the momentum on their side, the Lynx would not want any slip-ups at this moment in the season as they take on Portland next on August 12.