MINNEAPOLIS — All those banners hang in the rafters at Target Center, reminding the Minnesota Lynx of what they once were and what they are steps away from being again.
The four championships and five retired jerseys just staring down on the court from on high stamp the organization as the standard in the WNBA. But all of that success doesn’t apply to this Lynx team that bulldozed through the regular season the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The uniform still says “LYNX” across the chest, but the faces are not the same as those title-drenched teams.
This version of the Lynx is brand new. Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams are great players, but they have not had the careers that Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles had. At least not yet. This is a team that has stepped up to the hot coals of playoff basketball but has yet to walk across them together. The Lynx as a franchise are undeniable. But this particular team is still unproven.
That’s why Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve had a smile across her face after a 77-70 victory over the Connecticut Sun that evened their series at 1-1. It wasn’t just winning the game, it was how they won it. It was Williams jawing with serial instigator Marina Mabrey. It was Myisha Hines-Allen dropping a shoulder into DeWanna Bonner. It was Kayla…
