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Can the Minnesota Lynx channel 2017 magic and claim another championship?
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- Can the Minnesota Lynx channel 2017 magic and claim another championship?
The Minnesota Lynx have a chip on their shoulder.
After losing the 2024 WNBA Finals to the New York Liberty in a winner-take-all Game 5 that went to overtime, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve emphatically called out "disappointing officiating," saying the championship was "stolen from us."
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The heartbreaking loss lingers 10 months later, as the league-leading Lynx are in position to make another deep playoff run. "You feel that loss for a long time," Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman told USA TODAY Sports. It has been the driving force behind the Lynx's record-breaking season with the same goal: Winning a championship.
"That's what our team has really focused on throughout the whole season," added Hiedeman, who dyed her hair red ahead of the postseason in partnership with U by Kotex . "Remember that feeling, have that chip on your shoulder and every time you step on the court, whether it's practice, shootaround or whatever, bring that intensity and bring the energy, because all these little things are going to matter when it comes down to playoffs."
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Lynx look to emulate 2017 title team
Reeve has been here before.
After the Lynx suffered a heartbreaking, one-point loss to the Los Angeles Sparks in the deciding Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals , Minnesota responded with the league-best record and No. 1 overall seed in the 2017 postseason. The Lynx got their revenge by defeating Los Angeles in the 2017 WNBA Finals to hoist their fourth WNBA title in seven years. Lynx center Sylvia Fowles was named league MVP and Finals MVP.
The Lynx have followed a similar script coming off their 2024 Finals loss. They have the best record in the league with a franchise-high 33 wins and claimed the No. 1 seed in the playoffs to secure home-court advantage at Target Center, where the team is 19-2 this season.
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Like the 2017 squad, Minnesota has the top-ranked offense and defense in the league this season. It's a rare feat that has led to championships. Of the eight teams in WNBA history to accomplish both in the same season, seven went on to win the WNBA title. Will the 2025 Lynx be next?
Even though the Lynx are the betting favorites to hoist the WNBA championship trophy in October, other teams have closed the gap down the stretch. The Lynx lost to the second-place Atlanta Dream on Aug. 21 and third-place Las Vegas Aces on Sept. 4. The Aces, led by reigning MVP A'ja Wilson, are on a franchise-record 15-game win streak.
The Lynx, however, are not panicking.
"We've had a target on our back all season. We've been the No. 1 team," said MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier , who sat out of Tuesday's night loss to the Indiana Fever to rest for the postseason. "We get everyone's best shot. I think that's great for us. It allows us to prepare for how hard it's going to be in the playoffs."
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'Our team is not our team if not for' Napheesa Collier
Reeve said she sees direct parallels between the selflessness and talent of her 2017 squad and her current team that hopes to bring Minnesota its league-leading fifth WNBA title and first since 2017.
" Maya (Moore) was the perfect superstar for the group, because the selfless nature of superstars ... can't be understated," Reeve said on Sept. 6 after Moore and Fowles were inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. "There's no way you can be in the WNBA Finals in six out of seven years and maintain that level of success without that as your core being."
And then came Collier in 2019, who Reeve called "an extension of the Lynx culture that was built before her."
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"We have the group now because of Napheesa Collier," Reeve said. "The last two years, we're 60-plus wins and counting because we got the right people."
"The buy-in, the selfless is not real sexy ... but that's what it is."
Collier's leadership has been paramount to the Lynx and her efforts have her in the MVP conversation as she's averaging career-highs in points (23), field-goal percentage (52.6%) and blocks (1.6). She ranks top 10 in points, field-goal percentage, rebounds, blocks and steals per game. Collier is just shy of joining Elena Delle Donne in the exclusive 50-40-90 club. Delle Donne became the first WNBA player to record 50% shooting from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 90% from the free throw line in a season in 2019, her MVP season.
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"Our team is not our team if not for (Collier)," Lynx guard Courtney Williams told USA TODAY Sports. "What she does on the defensive end, the offensive end, the coverages that every team has to throw at her every single game and she thrives. I think when you have a player that is doing it at every level, every single night consistently, you got to tip your hat off to her. So shout out to MV-Phee, man. We love that girl."
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Lynx have team chemistry, depth and talent
The Lynx glided to a 20-4 record by the 2025 WNBA All-Star break , which featured three Minnesota players in Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams . After an eventful All-Star weekend — which saw Team Collier handily defeat Team Caitlin Clark — Collier, Williams, McBride and Hiedeman all sang along to Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club" to cap the Stud Budz's epic 72-hour All-Star live stream.
The chemistry was palpable through the screen and has contributed to the Lynx's team-first mentality. Minnesota returned six players from last year's Finals roster, tying the Liberty, Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces for the most continuity.
"We just have a great relationship off the court and that's kind of the basis for our chemistry on the court," Collier said. "We just have such a deep love and respect for one another. We hang out a lot. We've built those bond over the past two seasons now. So you're able to hold people accountable and not point fingers because you care about them as a person and you know everyone is trying their hardest. We're trying to reach a collective goal."
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 21: The Minnesota Lynx do their celebration the 'Electric Slide' after winning a game against the Dallas Wings at Target Center on May 21, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
The Lynx have the fourth-highest scoring bench in the league (22.4), led by sixth women of the year candidate Hiedeman, who appears to be hitting her stride heading into the playoffs, averaging 18 points over the last four games, including a double-double against the Dallas Wings earlier this month with 10 assists.
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"(Hiedeman) brings that energy. ... She over here breaking records," said Williams, who also dyed her hair red alongside her Stud Budz counterpart. "We've been needing every bit of it, right? I think she just embodies what our team is right next man up, whoever night it is, that's who we cheering on. That's who we want on the floor."
The Lynx added to their depth by trading for guard Dijonai Carrington to bolster their defense, although Carrington is nursing a left shoulder injury that has sidelined her for three consecutive games.
Lynx have a potential first round matchup vs. Seattle Storm
The Lynx will likely face the Seattle Storm in the first-round of the WNBA playoffs. A rivalry has been brewing between the teams as multiple scuffles have broken out this season. The Lynx and Storm split their regular-season series 2-2, but the last matchup was extra contentious.
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The Storm overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Lynx by 14 points on Aug. 28, completing a 35-point swing on the road to hand the Lynx their second loss of the season at Target Center. Following the comeback, Storm guard Skylar Diggins appeared to mock the Lynx's post-victory Electric Slide dance, adding further fuel to the fire.
When asked if the Lynx were aware of the Storm's postgame antics, Williams said, "We see everything, honestly." Hiedeman added, "Whoever we play, whoever we play, we bring in our best games. It don't even matter. Doesn't matter who the team is."
The first-round of the WNBA playoffs will be best-of-three, the semifinals will be best-of-five and the WNBA Finals will move to best-of-seven for the first time in league history.
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"You have to be mentally and physically strong. You are adding on two more games," Williams said. "We went to a Game 5 last year and we were feeling it, I ain't going to lie.
"Knowing that it is Game 7, you got to already mentally prepare yourself to play those games. We want to be there."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can the Minnesota Lynx get the revenge they deserve?
