Minnesota Lynx rout Phoenix Mercury 95-67 in game-1 of WNBA Western Conference Finals
The first game of the Western Conference Finals, between two of the top three offenses in WNBA, Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury was not as crunch a match as was expected. Minnesota made Phoenix look helpless tonight, crushing
them 95-67 to lead the series 1-0.
All the big guns from Minnesota Lynx delivered with Seimone Augustus stealing the show again with her 21 points. Maya Moore ended with 15 points, Rebekkah Brunson with 13 along with 13 rebounds, and the veteran Taj McWilliams also
chipped in and scored 14 points.
So it was more of a team effort with all the players playing their part to perfection. They never allowed Phoenix to get in the game. Phoenix were outrebounded 42-26 and their shots from field percentage was only 35.7 which just
shows how difficult Lynx made it for Phoenix.
The biggest disappointment of the match was Candice Dupree who only managed to score only 2 points in the game.
Minnesota’s biggest lead got as high as 30 which speaks for their dominance in the game whereas Phoenix never managed to get ahead of Lynx throughout the match.
Diana Taurasi was the only prominent player from Phoenix ending with match high 22 points but unfortunately for her and Phoenix, she got very little assistance from her team mates. DeWanna Bonner could only manage 11 points and
Marie Ferdinand-Harris 12.
The onslaught started right from the beginning. Augustus started the proceedings by scoring the first shot. After that point it was all about Maya Moore who stunned the Phoenix with her aggression and scored 13 of her total 15
points in that quarter. Despite conceding two fouls in the quarter, coach did not call her out as she was playing so well. The quarter finally ended with Minnesota leading by 28-11.
Taurasi tried to pull back things in second quarter with help from Taylor and Bonner. With four minutes to go in the second quarter, Taurasi scored a 3pt shot and reduced the lead to 12. However, Phoenix could not pull it enough
and the quarter ended with Rebekkah Brunson’s layup shot and Minnesota leading 47-36.
First Half of the third quarter was good for Phoenix as they managed to reduce the lead to only 6 but Rebekkah Brunson scored 4 quick points through two shots to extend the lead again. Lindsay Whalen was replaced with Candice Wiggins
after Whalen picked her fourth foul. With the help of Wiggins two 3s at the end of the quarter, Minnesota ended the quarter with healthy lead of 74-55.
Phoenix Lost the game in the third quarter, they were never able to catch up with the lead and the last quarter looked like a formality and Minnesota kept on scoring. Only threat from Phoenix was Taurasi again who earned few points
in the last quarter too but Minnesota ended the game in style and won it easily.
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