Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx Starting Lineups and Depth Charts for 2024 WNBA Playoffs Game 2
The Minnesota Lynx will host the Phoenix Mercury in Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round WNBA playoff series on Wednesday at Target Center. The Lynx will be looking to close out the series after taking Game 1 with a slender 102-95 victory. The Mercury, meanwhile, will hope to keep their postseason hopes alive and take the series back to Arizona for a Game 3 decider.
Minnesota entered the series as the No. 2 overall seed after finishing with a 30-10 regular season record and an impressive 16-4 record at home.
Phoenix ranked No. 7 in the overall standings with a 19-21 record, winning just nine of their 20 away games this year.
The two teams faced off four times during the regular season with the Lynx holding a 3-1 series lead.
Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx: Starting lineups and depth charts
Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner wait for free throws at Footprint Center (Image Credit: IMAGN)
This is a win-or-go-home game for the Mercury and they will be desperate to avoid a season-ending loss. Guards Charisma Osborne and Rebecca Allen are set to miss Wednesday’s game due to injury.
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Coach Nate Tibbetts has stayed consistent with his starting five and will likely stick with the same veteran players as he looks to force a Game 3. Expect to see the regular starters from Game 1 with Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, Sophie Cunningham and Brittney Griner taking the court.
Phoenix Mercury depth chart:
G
Diana Taurasi
Celeste Taylor
Amy Atwell
G
Natasha Cloud
Sophie Cunningham
F
Kahleah Copper
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
F
Monique Billings
Natasha Mack
C
Brittney Griner
On the other hand, the Lynx have been one of the consistent teams over the second half of the season and a big part of that is due to their talented starting core. Coach Cheryl Reeve has stuck with a regular group of starters and with no reported injuries to her lineup, we should see the same five that began Game 1.
Expect to see a starting five consisting of Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Napheesa Collier, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith on Wednesday.
Minnesota Lynx depth chart:
G
Courtney Williams
Natisha Hiedeman
G
Kayla McBride
Myisha Hines-Allen
Alissa Pili
F
Napheesa Collier
Cecilia Zandalasini
Sika Kone
F
Bridget Carleton
Dorka Jahusz
Diamond Miller
C
Alanna Smith
Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx: Players to watch
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier at UBS Arena (Image Credit: IMAGN)
Center Brittney Griner has been a key figure for this Mercury team throughout the season, but it was guard Natasha Cloud who stepped up in Game 1 of the series. The 5-foot-10 sharpshooter finished with a career-high 33 points, shooting 14-of-23 from the field and recording 4 3-pointers. Cloud will need to be at her best if Phoenix hopes to outscore Minnesota’s dynamic offense.
Napheesa Collier has been outstanding for the Minnesota Lynx throughout the season and continued her red-hot form in Game 1. She finished with a game-high 38 points and chipped in with six rebounds and four assists. During the regular season, Collier led the roster in points (20.4), rebounds (9.7) and steals (1.9).
