Travis Singleton

The Minnesota Timberwolves Take Care Of Toronto In The Home Opener (112-101)

by Travis Singleton | Oct 26, 2024 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves are fresh off their first win of the season in Sacramento the other night. One thing that was established in that game was the presence of the dynamic duo of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Both Edwards/Randle played well off each other and they would try to continue that in front of the hometown Minnesota faithful against the Raptors. The Raptors coming to town before the rematch of the Western Conference Finals looks like a trap game on paper but the Timberwolves were up to the challenge.

The Timberwolves came out clicking on all cylinders as it was Donte Divincenzo who was able to set the tone early in this game hitting a couple of 3-pointers that gave the Wolves some space with the early lead. The Raptors took every punch that the Timberwolves hit them with as they got down by 22 points in this one before they knew it. One bright spot for the Raptors tonight was Gradey Dick as he was able to showcase some impressive shot-making ability against a tough Timberwolves defense. It seemed like every time the Raptors made a push to cut into the Wolves lead it was Gradey Dick that made plays for Toronto. You can tell he’s taking that next step in his career and having Scottie Barnes alongside him the future can be bright when the Raptors get healthy. Tonight Gradey was able to finish the game with 25 points on 9/16 from the field as he was able to help the Raptors get the lead under 10 points in the 4th. The Timberwolves’ mistakes late in the 4th would allow Toronto to make this game a lot more interesting than it needed to be honestly. Scottie Barnes finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists but made a huge impact on the game on both ends. The Raptors kept trying to get the lead under the 8 point but the Minnesota Timberwolves continued to make shot after shot when it was needed.

Julius Randle was very aggressive in this game as he finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Randle made a huge impression on the Minnesota fans tonight as he was able to showcase the bully ball that has gotten him high praise in the NBA. Tonight Randle and Edwards both finished with 24 points as they led the Timberwolves to the win. Anthony Edwards got his game going in the 2nd & 3rd quarters as he was looking in mid-season form with the jumper working and he was able to go downhill on the Raptors defense. The Raptors had Barnes/Battle playing defense on Anthony Edwards but he was able to still have his way as it seems as though Ant-Man is primed for a true run at the MVP. The Wolves finished the game with 6 players in double figures and if they will make that run back to the WCF at least it’s going to take a full effort for all 82 games. One thing that we saw tonight was Donte getting his playing time to showcase his play-making ability with his scoring. The Wolves finished the game shooting 47% from the field and will need to continue this if they want to take care of business against the Mavs on Tuesday.

Oct 26, 2024 No Comments

The Minnesota Lynx Defeat New York Liberty (82-80) To Force Game 5 Sunday

Featured

by Travis Singleton | Oct 19, 2024 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx were caught off guard by Sabrina Ionescu’s game-winning 3-pointer in Game 3 to give the Liberty the series lead. One thing that we’ve learned about this Minnesota Lynx team is that they’re battle-tested and they believe in each other no matter the situation. Some of that comes from Coach Cheryl Reeve but a lot of that swagger comes from Courtney Williams as well. They were going to need that DAWG in Game 4 if the Lynx wanted to prevent the New York Liberty from celebrating on their court tonight as the WNBA Champions.

This game was a true slugfest as both teams came out trying to make the first run but it was extremely tight. The Minnesota Lynx Big 3 of Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams, and Kayla McBride led the way with a combined 48 points of the 82 points from the team tonight. Napheesa didn’t have one of her scoring nights that she usually does but she impacted the game on the defensive end in a big way. Napheesa is one of the best in the game because when she would get doubled she’s so unsuccessful that she knows when to find her teammates. The Liberty were trying to make sure that Napheesa wasn’t going to beat them tonight but they slept on Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams. Napheesa draws a lot of attention and that helped the team out tonight against New York.

Both McBride and Williams were able to hit some big shots throughout the game as the Liberty gave them too much space. Kayla McBride is one of the best shooters in the game and once she sees one of her jumpers go in the basket it’s a long night for the opposing team. Tonight Kayla McBride was the leading scorer on Minnesota with 19 points and she set the tone on both ends as well. A lot of people gave Sabrina Ionescu high praise last game for her big shot making but like Kayla said “She guarded her for 40 minutes”. Kayla held Sabrina to a quiet 10 points as she wasn’t able to get her game going because that defense had her out of rhythm. Minnesota was able to execute whatever the gameplan was tonight for Coach Reeve but they will have to limit Jonquel Jones & Breanna Stewart inside the paint because they missed a lot of easy baskets tonight. Courtney Williams has been a great addition to the Lynx and it was on full display in Game 4 as she was able to get her team involved passing-wise and was able to put them on her back with the smooth mid-range shot.

Jonquel finished with 21 points with 8 rebounds as the Lynx don’t have much of a matchup for her in this series but the Lynx have been creating a lot of jumpball situations. The Lynx might be undersized but they have a huge heart and it showed tonight as they battled in front of the home crowd. The other bright spot for New York was the play of Fiebich as she finished with 19 points but was able to make tough shot after shot when Minnesota looked to be pulling away. She’s a rookie but the way she hits big shots looks like she’s been in the league for like 10 years. The Minnesota Lynx were able to pull this game out with Ionescu/Stewart going 10/36 from the field but we know that this won’t be a repeat in New York. The Lynx will need to keep making it tough on the Liberty with deflections and making sure they get out in transition. Both teams know each other’s game well now and it’s going to come down to who wants it more on Sunday.

Photo Credit: Abbie Parr

Oct 19, 2024 No Comments

The Minnesota Lynx Are WNBA Finals Bound After Defeating Connecticut (88-77)

Featured

by Travis Singleton | Oct 9, 2024 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx came into this Game 5 after a tough loss in Connecticut knowing they were coming home to the best fans in the WNBA. The Lynx knew that if they wanted to go to the WNBA Finals it was going to take a great effort on both ends of the floor. Tonight in Game 5 they came out and set the tone from the jumpball. It just so happened to be the Kayla McBride Towel Night and McBride came out on fire as she was putting pressure on the Sun defenders. The Sun were able to slow down Napheesa Collier in the 1st quarter but with the DPOY drawing so much attention it opened things up for Kayla to get her offense going right away. Kayla McBride was hitting the 3-point shot and she was able to attack off the dribble. Kayla was able to finish the game with 19 points and her points in the 1st quarter started the scoring party. Her offense was contagious because it wasn’t too long before Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams got it going.

Courtney Williams’s dad told the media pregame that she would have a big night and he didn’t lie at all. Courtney Williams was able to get the midrange jumper going early and was able to get by any defender that the Sun threw at her. When Courtney has both the playmaking and her offensive game going there’s nothing that the defense can do and the Sun realized that real quick. Courtney has been a blessing in disguise for the Lynx because her bag is extremely heavy with a lot of things that she brings to the game. Courtney was able to get her teammates involved with some amazing passes and her peskiness on the defensive end was making things tough for Burton/Carrington. Courtney Williams was able to finish the game with 24 points and 7 assists tonight. This was one of her best games in a Lynx uniform and it came right on time.

One of the teammates who was able to feast off of the Williams setups was Naphessa Collier. This SUPERSTAR doesn’t get enough credit for the things that she does on the court. It doesn’t matter if it’s the offensive side or the defensive end Collier is coming through for her teammates. Napheesa impacted tonight’s game in many ways with blocks, rebounds, and even steals. Napheesa has been able to use her defense to start the offense for the Lynx with her amazing awareness of deflections. Tonight against the Sun she was able to demand a lot of attention that creates opportunity for the rest of the team. Napheesa finished the game with 27 points and 11 rebounds it didn’t matter who was on her tonight she was willing the Lynx to the Finals. Napheesa has some of the best footwork in the WNBA and she had multiple defenders on the Sun looking silly at the rim. The Lynx were able to force the Sun into 18 turnovers tonight and that was started by Napheesa Collier’s blocks and disruptiveness in the passing lanes. The Lynx held the Sun to 38% from the field and that was a huge reason why the Minnesota Lynx are heading to the Finals. The Minnesota Lynx’s biggest lead was 24 points and they continued to put their foot on the gas throughout the game whenever the Sun tried to make a run.

The Connecticut Sun got punched in the mouth so fast from the Minnesota Lynx that it was tough to recover. The whole game the Sun were fighting to get back into the game and it was tough because McBride, Williams, and Collier were already scoring at will. The Sun did lose Marina Mabrey in the 1st half to an injury so taking away one of their best shooters in the close-out game was going to be a tall task. Dijonai Carrington was one of the bright spots for the Sun tonight against Minnesota as she was to get into those passing lanes and create her offense in transition. Carrington came out in the 2nd half and put the Sun on her back with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Sun were just too far behind to get back into this game but it was a slugfest as both teams battled it out to Game 5. One of the mismatches that the Sun had on the Lynx was Brionna Jones in the paint she finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jones was tough to guard but with the Lynx spacing, it made it tough for her to be effective the whole game on the defensive end. The Sun had a hell of a season and yeah it had to end tonight but they will come back better. Tonight was all about the Lynx and they will be going on to play the New York Liberty in the rematch of the Commissioners Cup.

Photo Credit: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images

Oct 9, 2024 No Comments

Connecticut Sun Steal Game 1 From Minnesota In A Defensive Battle (73-70)

Featured

by Travis Singleton | Sep 29, 2024 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

Both the Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx came into this series with sweeps in their rare viewmirror. The Sun won the regular season series with the Minnesota Lynx but this was a brand new Lynx team with new additions along the way as well. One thing that didn’t change is that both teams are at the top of the WNBA when it comes to defense. Before Game 1 the fans in Minnesota were able to congratulate their (Coach of the Year, Cheryl Reeve, and Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier).

The start of this game was physical as you can tell the Sun game plan was to make sure that Napheesa Collier didn’t go off like she did in the Phoenix series. Every time Napheesa got the ball tonight there were multiple defenders in her face and switches at all times. With that being said Napheesa is one of the smartest players in the WNBA and was able to find the open teammate with ease. Tonight that teammate that got it going for Phee and the Lynx was Bridget Carleton as she was able to get her shot to go down early. When Carleton has her shot going it’s tough to beat the Lynx and she was able to exploit the Sun double-teamming Collier. Bridge has improved her play throughout the year and it was on full display as the Sun got caught with having Burton/Carrington on her at the wrong moments. Bridget was locked in tonight and was there to help until Napheesa got some open looks that finally fell in for her. Napheesa Collier is a tough guard as she’s always moving around and knows how to get to her spots on the floor to get in a great position to score. The Sun were playing some great defense but on the offensive end Marina Mabrey came to ball out and she was able to hit some tough shots.

The one thing that hurt the Lynx tonight was the fact that Alyssa Thomas was able to get to a lot of those loose balls but about two of them opened things up for Marina Mabrey on a couple of her 6 (3-pointers) that she was able to knock down tonight. When Mabrey is shooting lights out from the 3-point line like that the Sun are tough to beat and she knew it was her night when the clock was running down for her 30-footer. The Sun had the momentum at times but the Lynx were able to continue to go back and forth with them. One encouraging thing for the Lynx was that Kayla McBride was able to get her shot going coming out the 2nd half and that type of shooting can lead to a huge display in Game 2.

The Lynx cooled down from the previous series but sometimes teams need to be brought back down to get back up. The Sun came into Minnesota and executed down the stretch as Thomas was able to hit 2 big shots that were able to be the deciding factor with time running out under the minute in the 4th. The Lynx were able to get 48 combined points from Napheesa, Bridget, and Kayla but they will need Courtney Williams to come up big time moving forward if they want to win this series. The Sun almost got a triple-double from Alyssa Thomas as she finished with 17 points, 9 assists, and 10 rebounds on the night. Marina Mabrey finished with 20 points in the win and those 6 (3-pointers) that she made were a huge reason for the victory.

Game 1 was a defensive battle and it’s to be expected in this whole series that it will be close every night. Game 2 will be on Tuesday at 8:30 pm at Target Center as the Lynx will look to bounce back after this loss. One thing about the Lynx this season is that they have matured throughout the year and they have Napheesa Collier who will be looking to showcase her play on both ends at an elite level.

Sep 29, 2024 No Comments

The Minnesota Lynx Take The Series Lead Against Phoenix (102-95)

Featured

by Travis Singleton | Sep 22, 2024 | Featured, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA

The Minnesota Lynx started this game against the Phoenix Mercury on fire as they got the ball to their All-WNBA Player Naphessa Collier. It looked like Collier couldn’t be stopped in that 1st half as she was getting buckets inside and outside. One of the best attributes of Napheesa’s game is that she is so unselfish and she’s one of the best teammates. When she had it going she was able to instill some confidence in her teammates when they were scoring and going off her play. Napheesa was making it tough for anyone that the Phoenix Mercury put on her and it didn’t matter if it was Cunningham/Copper she was a walking bucket. When Napheesa has her offense going like this it’s tough to beat the Minnesota Lynx because she’s just as impressive on the defensive end. The Lynx were clicking on all cylinders early as they were able to get the lead up to 23 points. Sometimes teams get that big of a lead and take the foot off the gas a little bit and that’s exactly what happened in this one with the Lynx. The Phoenix Mercury who have been playing inspired basketball not knowing if this will be Diana Taurisi’s last dance of her own came out motivated in that 2nd half. Diana and Natasha both came out with some fire and were hitting some shots that they didn’t make in the 1st half. Natasha Cloud was playing at a high level as she was able to get to the rim with ease blowing by some Lynx players in the paint. Natasha Cloud finished with 33 points and 10 assists tonight in a stellar Game 1 for the Mercury. The momentum was starting to shift in this game as the Mercury were trying to take the crowd out of this game with the run they were on. It seemed like every time you looked up the Mercury hit a big 3-point shot to inch them closer.

The COTY Coach Reeve was able to make those adjustments as she was able to have multiple defenders running to the shooters but they also made it tough on Brittney Griner in this one as well. The Lynx were able to play through Napheesa Collier in this one as she finished with 38 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on the night. Collier showcased exactly why she was in the running for the MVP as she was able to put the team on her back on both ends. The Lynx made some key plays down the stretch of Game 1 and it was special to see the play of Courtney Williams as her confidence and swagger were all over this game. Williams was able to set up her team with the playmaking and she was able to find her shot whenever needed for Minnesota. Another player that had playoff experience that gave her all was Kayla McBride as she was able to defend Diana and made some key shots down the stretch to get the Lynx the win. Bridget Carleton hit the shot of the night when the Lynx needed it and she has been special all season long in those moments once inserted into the starting lineup. The Lynx were the aggressive team in Game 1 with a huge edge in free throws but both teams came out with a sense of urgency as we will be in store for a big Game 2 on Wednesday night.