Napheesa Collier delivered a playoff career-high performance, scoring 38 points as the Minnesota Lynx rallied to defeat the Phoenix Mercury 102-95 in Game 1 of their best-of-three playoff series. The Lynx, the Western Conference champions and No. 2 seed, blew a 23-point lead before pulling off a thrilling late-game victory.
The game started strong for Minnesota, who built an early 32-19 first-quarter lead and extended their advantage to 50-27 with just over five minutes left in the first half. However, Phoenix chipped away at the deficit, closing the gap to 56-42 by halftime. By the end of the third quarter, the Mercury had clawed back to within eight points, trailing 77-69.
Phoenix’s momentum carried into the final quarter, as Kahleah Copper led a 10-2 run. Her 3-pointer, followed by two free throws from Brittney Griner, gave the seventh-seeded Mercury their first lead since scoring the opening points of the game. Natasha Cloud’s layup with just over two minutes left put Phoenix on top 92-91.
But the Lynx responded with composure. Myisha Hines-Allen answered with a crucial layup, and Bridget Carleton sank a 3-pointer to spark a 9-0 run, securing Minnesota’s win in the closing moments. “We weren’t going to give up,” Collier said after the game, reflecting on the team’s resolve to fight through the Mercury’s comeback.
Collier was unstoppable throughout the game, making 11 of her 19 field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and converting 13 of 14 free throws. In addition to her 38 points, she contributed six rebounds and four assists. Kayla McBride also shined, scoring 20 points, including three 3-pointers, while Carleton added 12 points and six rebounds. Hines-Allen provided a spark off the bench with 10 points.
For Phoenix, Natasha Cloud led the way with 33 points and 10 assists, matching her postseason career-high. Diana Taurasi added 21 points, hitting 50% of her 3-point attempts, while Copper scored 16 points, and Griner finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
Collier’s 38-point effort came just four points shy of Breanna Stewart’s playoff-record 42 points, set in 2022. Despite this, Collier’s performance was enough to push the Lynx to a critical Game 1 victory.
The Lynx, who won three of their four regular-season matchups against the Mercury, will look to close out the series when they host Game 2 at the Target Center on Wednesday. If Phoenix forces a Game 3, it will take place on Friday.