What's the one lesson the Lynx need to learn before the WNBA Playoffs?
Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. discuss the Lynx modest two-game losing streak and in the midst of that why they're not worried about Minnesota long-term. Check out the full conversation on "The Dunker Spot" and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen .
Video Transcript
But Steve, just broadly, where are you at with the Minnesota Lynx right now, who now hold a two-game lead over the Golden State Valkyries for the top seed?
I mean, the sky is not falling with the Lynx.
I think the thing for me all year has been talking about how good the Lynx have been at answering whatever question has been delivered at their door.
What I found interesting is, like, Cheryl Reeve at no point has stopped pushing this team to be the version she believes they can be.
And so it was interesting to kinda just see, okay, we need the defense to be at a certain level, we need the offense to be a certain level, we need to be able to handle physicality at a certain level.
And so that- Mm-hmm feels like the gap.
So, like, the two teams they lost to are physical teams with a level of size, and, like, they're gonna hit you.
You have to kinda figure out how you do it.
And so can you have the counters in those scenarios?
Doesn't feel like the final question that the Lynx have to answer.
It does feel like something you have to be comfortable with in understanding, okay- Mm-hmm how do we get to our shots?
How do we get to our spots?
And so with the Lynx, like, a- against the Dream and the Valkyries, okay, when do we highlight Napheesa Collier?
When do we-- How do we deal with these teams that are okay with going, like, drop late switch against Olivia Miles?
Nothing that we haven't seen before, but if we have both of these things a little off, it changes our formula a little bit.
We don't have the topper, right?
Mm-hmm.
So w- we, we, we got, we, we, we got the coffee.
There's no sweet cream on top.
That's kinda those two games for the Lynx.
'Cause, like- Okay the Dream came out to a hot start against Minnesota, and Minnesota's right there, 24-21, like, "Yeah, we're still here.
Don't worry about it."
Didn't win- Mm-hmm but, like, you still gotta put away the Lynx.
The Dream did it.
So it's, it's less of a overall can the Dream, can the Lynx get it done?
And it's more just, okay, you gotta realize when we face this particular type of matchup, we're gonna have to hit XYZ.
So it's just learning the notes- Mm-hmm against certain teams.
But I, I, I don't think the sky is falling.
The interesting part is losing two means Golden State's only two behind you, which means as we go forward, you're opening a door for Golden State to say, "Hey, can we take the one seed?"
Mm-hmm.
Intrigued by that.
I am intrigued by that.
I will say I am intrigued by that.
What do you, what do you say?
No.
No, that is fair, and I think broadly I am with you that I didn't look at these two games that the Lynx lost and say, "Oh, there's just a, there's an existential pr- crisis with the Minnesota Lynx.
Oh, this is a big capital P problem with them."
Largely because, like, these are things we've talked about before, where it's like, hey, they have been a machine, they have been a bus all year long.
Look like when teams are physical with them off the ball.
What does it look like when teams are able to mix in more switching against them, and, like, what does that do for their shot profile?
So it's very funny for us to have this conversation by ourselves, have this conversation with the great Sarah Kustok, and then we get to these two games, and Golden State's like, "You're not having fun.
Also, here's a whole bunch of zone."
And then the Atlanta Dream are like, "Yeah, so we're going to be physical with you off the ball, and we're gonna mix in a whole bunch of switches."
A, a lot of Angel Reese or Naz Hillmon on Olivia Miles, and Olivia trying to drive through those.
It's like, okay.
Hey, we're watching film.
We know what we talk about.
Shout out to The Dunker Spot.
But in all seriousness, that's why I'm not, like, scared.
But it's like these are things that I want to see, and it was interesting listening to the Cheryl Reeve post-game presser, and one of the first things that she said is like, "I think these games are good for us, because we need to know what this feels like.
We need to be able to find answers to these things."
Like, there's a physicality that we have to be ready for.
There's a physicality that we have to match.
We have to exploit the physicality.
That was something that she talked about on and off the ball.
And so, like, these could be legitimate learning lessons.
