Lynx plan for Sun sharpshooter Marina Mabrey was effective in Game 2, showing the value of defensive talent

Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas waltzed into the lane for a largely uncontested layup in the second quarter of Game 2 of the WNBA semifinal series against the Lynx on Tuesday at Target Center.

Suns guard Marina Mabrey wasn’t even visible on the broadcast during the play until after the layup went down, as she was camped in the near-side corner for spacing purposes. Neither was her defender. Lynx wing Bridget Carleton was effectively glued to Mabrey. Carleton didn’t move a muscle to help as Thomas went in for the layup.

It was not a lack of effort on Carleton’s part, nor was it a mental breakdown. It was a decision Minnesota seemingly made ahead of Game 2, that Mabrey was not going to beat the Lynx.

The 27-year-old sharpshooter was one of the key mid-season acquisitions in 2024. Since arriving in August from Chicago, Mabrey has added a critical component to Connecticut’s offense, averaging 15 points over her final 16 regular-season games while shooting 42 percent from deep. That production carried into the postseason, as Mabrey lit up Indiana for 27 points in the Suns’ playoff opener. In Game 1 of the semifinal series, she was 6 for 10 on three-point shots to help the Sun down the Lynx.

A few of those triples in Game 1 were open looks stemming from overhelp or miscommunications on switches. No such opportunities were going to be provided in Game 2. Whether it was Carleton or Kayla McBride, the Lynx refused to give Mabrey even an ounce of oxygen on the perimeter.

The end result was a 15-point showing for Mabrey on 4-for-14 shooting. More important, Mabrey had just two points in the second half — off a back cut to counter the heavy pressure — before hitting a pair of meaningless free throws in the closing seconds of the Lynx victory. Mabrey finished with twice as many turnovers (4) as assists (2). Minnesota’s defensive approach didn’t quite rise to the level of “face guarding” Mabrey, but her defender was never more than a step away from the sniper, regardless of where the ball was on the floor.

McBride and Carleton certainly deserve credit for their doggedness in denying Mabrey any type of opportunity. But just as much praise belongs with Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith and the Lynx’s other defenders. Allocating a full resource to stopping one player and not helping anywhere else puts pressure on the four other defenders on the court to win their matchups.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has the luxury of employing such a strategy — even against a team that has perennial all-stars such as Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner — because she can trust Collier, the newly-crowned WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Smith, another WNBA All-Defense selection, to not get exposed in 1-on-1 matchups against elite players.

Bonner was 5 for 15 shooting from the field Tuesday. Thomas was effective, but her impact didn’t cripple Minnesota’s chances.

On the flip side, by largely eliminating Mabrey’s impact, the Lynx seemed to stymy any type of offensive flow for the Sun, who often resorted to trying to score 1 on 1 off the bounce. The end result was a night in which the Sun shot 36 percent, the team’s fourth-lowest shooting percentage of the season. Take away Connecticut’s fast-break and second-chance opportunities, and that shooting percentage dips to 31 percent on first-chance looks in the half court.

Scoring against the Sun will remain a chore throughout the best-of-5 series, which continues with Game 3 on Friday in Connecticut, but if the Lynx can maintain anything close to that level of defensive efficiency for the balance of the series, theyx will be in an excellent position to advance.

The ability to mix and match and adjust all season is what allows any team to be as dominant as the Lynx were defensively throughout the season. The chess pieces on the court are versatile and punishing, and Reeve has found the proper ways to employ them. Tuesday was no different.