WNBA Finals: Three keys to a Lynx win in Game 4

It’s do-or-die time for the Lynx. Trailing the Liberty two games to one in the WNBA Finals, Minnesota must protect its home court on Friday in Game 4 to force a decisive Game 5 back in New York. Here are a few things Minnesota must accomplish to make that happen.

-Make the bunnies: Minnesota’s offense will occasionally stagnate for segments of games. That’s natural for any team, but the stretches can be more significant for a team that only possesses one true, go-to scorer in Napheesa Collier.

But when Minnesota generates easy looks for others through its schemes and movement, it has to convert. It did not Wednesday. The Lynx were a woeful 14 for 40 in the paint in Game 3, with a few especially detrimental misses in the fourth quarter. The Liberty are talented enough to get to 80 points, even against Minnesota’s ferocious defense. If the Lynx are to keep pace, they have to make the gimmes.

-Alanna Smith: The Lynx center noted Thursday that she plans to play Friday in spite of her back ailment. Her presence is a must if Minnesota is to extend the series. Smith is a shooting threat on offense who generates the spacing necessary for the Lynx to execute their cuts and drives. Defensively, her versatility allows Minnesota to not have to double against scoring bigs and extend its defense to pressure New York 25-plus feet away from the bucket.

For the series, the Lynx are outscoring New York by 21 points in Smith’s 81 minutes of action, and being outscored by 36 points in her 39 minutes on the bench. It’s hard to chart Minnesota’s path to victory if Smith isn’t playing and effective.

-Bench play: Minnesota’s depth was such an asset in the semifinal series against Connecticut. But sans Natisha Hiedeman’s role in the Game 1 comeback, the Lynx bench has largely been ineffective in this series.

If the reserves can provide any type of burst, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve may have no choice but to further reduce their minutes, which wouldn’t be optimal for Minnesota’s chances to win two games over the next three games across two cities.

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