The Minnesota Lynx have been hotter than a summer’s day right now in the WNBA, and it’s been special to watch. The Lynx were back at home, going against the Phoenix Mercury, who have been rattled with injuries as they’re without Copper/Thomas, but still had the star power of Satou Sabally. The Phoenix Mercury are 5-2 on the young season and have been able to put some quality wins together. They had a tall task ahead of them, as Napheesa Collier has been on a mission trying to get back to the WNBA Finals while adding some hardware.

The Phoenix Mercury came out clicking on all cylinders as Satou Sabally was extremely aggressive to start this one out. It was a great sight to see as she was going head-to-head with Napheesa Collier, the DPOY. The Mercury made it a point to get Satou involved, as she was able to score 13 points in the 1st half. Satou was able to get some put-back opportunities and was able to showcase her footwork in the paint. The other player on the Phoenix Mercury who came out of nowhere to surprise the Lynx defense was Lexi Held off the bench, as she was able to shoot 7/14 from the field. Held came into the game and gave the Mercury a spark, finishing with 16 points on the night as the Lynx let her loose on a couple of 3-pointers. The Lynx did a great job of limiting the production of Satou Sabally in the 2nd half as she only scored 2 points. Napheesa Collier was able to show why she’s the reigning defensive player of the year, taking on the challenge. It was a group effort, but Phee was able to really set the tone on how the defense was being played on Satou. The Lynx were able to crowd her and make better rotations in the 2nd half, and it slowed down the Phoenix attack compared to her getting to her spots in the 1st half.

Napheesa Collier didn’t have her best scoring output tonight, but she was effective in so many different ways with her rebounding, blocks, and deflections. Some of the things that Napheesa does on a nightly basis on the defensive end have been unheard of, and the Mercury found that out 1st hand. Napheesa finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists tonight. The Lynx squad this year has grown as a unit, and it was on full display tonight as Natisha Hiedeman was able to come off the bench and light Phoenix up all night long. Natisha has been a bright spot off the bench for the Lynx, and she has pure fun when playing out there. Tonight, she finished with 18 points and was able to shake and bake a couple of Mercury defenders whenever she wanted to. Natisha had some high praise for her teammate Alanna Smith, who was able to showcase her 3-point shot and her play-making ability with 6 assists to add to her 13 points. This Lynx team is stacked and on a mission to get back to the WNBA Finals, and next on the list is Dallas on Sunday as they look to go to 9-0 on the season.