Lynx’s Contender Status Will Face Toughest Test Yet in Aces Matchup
Cheryl Reeve and her Minnesota Lynx squad have defied the odds. Despite losing four key rotational players and DiJonai Carrington, who was acquired in a trade but didn’t play much due to an injury, in the offseason and starting the season without Napheesa Collier, the Lynx sit atop the standings with a 10-2 record and an eight-game win streak.
Olivia Miles, Natasha Howard, Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Nia Coffey have been outstanding, leading the Lynx to the best defensive rating and the second-best offensive rating in the league. It may have sounded crazy just a few weeks ago, but the Lynx look like a potential contender.
They have already beaten the Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream, and Golden State Valkyries—three almost sure-fire playoff teams—but many of their wins also came against struggling teams like the Phoenix Mercury, Chicago Sky, and Seattle Storm.
The Lynx’s looming matchup with the Las Vegas Aces this weekend will be the ultimate litmus test of Minnesota’s championship potential.
“A’ja Wilson is one of the best players in the world,” Kayla McBride said in a practice media availability, per the Lynx’s YouTube channel. “I think that’s always something that’s on top of your list, but they’re champs for a reason. They play really well together, they know each other, and it’s always a challenge…It’s another test for us.”
The Aces are difficult to beat
The Aces just extended their win streak to five with a 105-89 win over the Portland Fire behind a 32-point performance from A’ja Wilson and record-tying 3-point shooting from Chelsea Gray. After some hiccups, like a 30-point loss to the Mercury in the season-opener and consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings in late May, the Aces look every bit like the defending champions we expected to see.
Wilson is a big reason for that. She is currently averaging 26.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 blocks. Coffey and Howard have been a great defensive duo for the Lynx, but Wilson will challenge them like no other player they have faced so far.
The guard matchups will be intriguing to watch, too. So far, no moment has been too big for Olivia Miles, but how will she fare against veteran championship stars like Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd? Can Young, who is one of the best two-way wings in the W, slow down the rookie?
This game will be a battle between the top two teams in the standings, the top two offensive teams in the league, and two of the best coaches in the game. The Aces currently only rank eighth in defensive rating, but when they’re locked in, they can defend as well as any team in the league. The Lynx’s ability to match up with the Aces will tell a lot about what this team could accomplish even without Napheesa Collier.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.