Lynx Draw Second-Round Playoff Matchup After Liberty-Mercury Game 3

The Minnesota Lynx have officially drawn their second-round playoff opponent.

Sep 19, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) celebrates against the New York Liberty during the second half of game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Lynx took care of business in their first-round matchup against the Golden State Valkyries, ending their historic inaugural season. The Lynx took down the Valkyries in a 2-0 series sweep, so all they could do was patiently wait to see who they would be facing in the second round.

The Lynx knew that they would be facing the winner of the four-seeded Phoenix Mercury against the five-seeded New York Liberty. After the two teams swapped wins in Games 1 and 2, it came down to a series-defining Game 3 on Friday night.

Despite Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart going off for 30 points, the Mercury pulled out a win to clinch their spot in the semifinals.

BRACKET UPDATE 🚨

The Semi-Finals are locked in and here’s a look at the updated bracket for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by @Google .

The Minnesota Lynx will take on the Phoenix Mercury
The Las Vegas Aces will face the Indiana Fever

Round two starts this Sunday, September… pic.twitter.com/DHM1GWUt2u

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2025

Lynx draw the Mercury

Of course, the Lynx were in a tough position as either the Liberty or Mercury are tough semifinal draws, and Phoenix will undoubtedly give Minnesota everything they have.

The Mercury are led by a star trio of Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Cooper. MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas certainly takes charge, as she finished her 2025 season averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, coming just shy of averaging a triple-double.

Alyssa Thomas is THE triple-double queen 👑

She was unrelenting in the @PhoenixMercury's Game 3 win over New York!

✔️ Thomas became the first player in WNBA history to record a 20-point triple-double in the postseason
✔️ Recorded the fifth triple-double of her playoff career… pic.twitter.com/QHjw81LuAX

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2025

Thomas dropped 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in their Game 3 win over the Liberty on Friday to clinch the series, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record a 20-point triple-double in the playoffs.

In their first-round playoff series against the Liberty, Thomas and Sabally were both exceptional, and while the Lynx will certainly give them a tougher defensive fit, Minnesota will have their hands full.

Lynx-Mercury outlook

Jul 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) goes to the basket against Phoenix Mercury guard Kitija Laksa (9) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

While the Mercury will give the Lynx some trouble in their second-round series, Minnesota could feel some comfort after dominating their regular-season series. The Lynx beat the Mercury in three of their four matchups this season, with an average win margin of 13 points in their three wins. However, these two teams have not faced off in over two months, so those matchups hold minimal weight.

In this series, all eyes will be on Collier and Thomas, as they are two of the five WNBA MVP finalists. Still, it will come down to each team's supporting cast.

Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and co-star Kayla McBride will play huge roles for Minnesota in this series, while Phoenix will continue to lean on Thomas' running mates, Sabally and Cooper.

Game 1 of this second-round series will tip off on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. ET in Minnesota on ESPN.

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