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00:25Майя Кальдвилл, которая стала 16 геймс в Атланта Дреем,
00:28которая заинтересовалась в Атланта Дреем.
00:58Майя Кальдвилл, которая заинтересовалась в Атланта Дреем.
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03:1321.3 fouls a game so the link switching defense starts reaching if they start reaching instead
03:18of staying in front that could be a problem and no second chance points this connecticut team
03:23is a really good offensive rebounding team so you got to put a body on them they had 35 free
03:30throw
03:30attempts in their loss against dallas a game that in regulation was over two and a half hours so
03:36you're right something to watch out for here today there right on cue me coffee is going to pick up
03:41well it's it's really critical for the sun to get to the free throw line because they struggle from
03:47the three-point line they have to find ways to get points and it's from the three-point line and
03:52their willingness to get second chance points charlise ledger walker the ncaa champion with ucla
03:59to get it in to britney griner one-on-one against natasha howard coughs it up mcbride right in there
04:06it's going to be a jump ball you can see leah already the ways that the links are swarming in
04:11the paint they want no back to the basket catches for the post for the south absolutely something
04:16they worked on in shoot around today trying to stay in front of the not letting the ball get inside
04:24to
04:24the post player staying in front hand in their face and if they do get the ball inside they're
04:28depending on help side coming over it is won by the six foot nine britney griner off the jump ball
04:33audition side ledger walker is going to keep it here four seconds to go on the shot clock for the
04:39sun
04:41so lacan again will bring it in for connecticut
04:51lacan in a tight space lost it up and drains it she was walled up by lynx defenders certainly was
04:57and
04:58that is something that you don't see all the time from this connecticut team so get ready folks
05:03lacan has all five of connecticut's points so far good pass by courtney williams looking for
05:09the assist there to coffee but for the offensive rebound maya caldwell williams straight up
05:16another opportunity for the links as williams floats it up and now connecticut back in possession
05:25lacan leaving gets the mismatch keeping her eyes up
05:31reiner had the angle and she'll finish easily there's nothing you can do about it when she gets
05:35the ball that low in the paint that's exactly what minnesota is trying to minimize against the team that
05:43was the fewest points in the w this season caldwell has to retreat against lacan
05:52the ball stuck here on this possession williams snaking along the baseline the reverse comes
05:57perfectly in time and the defense couldn't stay with courtney williams there and courtney williams
06:02showing her finesse around the basket and her ability to snake through and find a way to score the ball
06:08she's going to have to put that hat back on it's not that she hasn't played the point guard position
06:12at all this season but she's been thriving back in her natural position even coach reeves said coming
06:18in we know what they do is a little bit different her and miles so we got to watch out
06:22and be prepared
06:23as williams can't finish inside it's a good look to courtney williams inside they can't finish on it and
06:29this is what connecticut likes to do get downhill quickly and that's diamond miller pushing pace really
06:36looking good out there and as minnesota fans remember when she was a lynx player coach reeves
06:41is going to call a timeout with the connecticut sun out to a significant lead early 11 to four
06:47here in the first quarter to four minnesota just one of six shooting to start this game connecticut
06:52five of seven and four assists on those buckets yeah so connecticut came ready this is a team that's been
06:58competing really well in particular in their last five games they haven't been able to always get wins
07:03out of that but they're starting to really figure it out coffee is blocked on the interior by greiner the
07:09all-time blocks leader in wnpa history that happened just recently on june 22nd surpassing
07:16the late margot dedek and the ball is going to stay on this side with 10 seconds to shoot
07:22yeah like how greiner said that was the one that she had an eye on she wanted to get
07:28the shot blocking was really important to her two-time defensive player of the year in britney
07:36reiner too one of the great vets in this league
07:43foul wait for the ball is going to go on ledger walker with the tough assignment tonight
07:58that's going to take the mantle of most wins in wnpa history sitting at 379 feet inside broken up
08:08sanaya rivers is going to snatch it away
08:12looking for britney reiner and that's going to land in the hands of elix fan yeah those unforced
08:16turnovers just going to be an issue for this connecticut team but as you can see it's a team
08:21that they can get going and play with pace and get downhill and be very dangerous associate head
08:27coach eric jibo telling us today that we need to start this game a lot better than we did against
08:32new
08:32yorkers mcbride will slice her way to the cup never against new york the liberty started 0-4 shooting
08:39and hit 11 straight shots in that first quarter they wanted to reverse that trend they're looking
08:43to do that now
08:49ledger walker guarded by williams trying to get around that grinder's screen deep into the shot
08:55clock here for the sun miller will give it up good rotation there defensively by howard and under three
09:01to shoot on the shot clock and you can see britney grinder explaining to rivers how she wants to ball
09:06and where she wants it when you're going to feed a player like reiner you got to lead her to
09:10the
09:11basket and get the ball nice and high so she doesn't have to bring it down low you might think
09:15you have some leeway there oh look at that wingspan she's six foot nine but not the kicks you really
09:21got to get it to her where she wants absolutely and there's going to be a whistle going on howard
09:26and
09:27leah that's going to be her second she's the only links player to pick up a personal and that means
09:32the fans on their feet for dorka yuhas at the scorers table
09:43the fans are thrilled to see dorka yuhas step back on the court once again in a links uniform it's
09:50been
09:56the euro league mvp this last offseason comes in with surging confidence at 26 years old just
10:04entering her prime and it's coach reeve her teammates have talked about how palpable that
10:10confidence is coming off this last season she played yeah i'm excited to see her with this link
10:16squad and see her get comfortable with this team and it's a perfect game for her to return
10:21knowing that we need the size the height and physicality especially with natasha howard with
10:26two early fouls no good that time on her first look didn't play in the wnba last season last played
10:34for
10:34the lynx suiting up to them in 2024 competing in that finals run and another eric post entry pass
10:40will give it back to the links yeah connecticut's kind of struggling trying to figure out how to get
10:44that ball inside right now but they are trying aggressively and will continue to do so minnesota
10:50has to keep up the good post defense williams and yuhas working through a pick and roll
10:5810 to shoot for the links thrilling 11 to 6 here early mcbride gonna recycle it
11:06three to shoot williams along too she's got it and how did courtney williams shoot over grinder that
11:13time that was impressive now six points off turnovers for the links
11:23reverse establishing this offense met by yuhas looking for the mid-range these are
11:27two of the top three teams in terms of attempts from the mid-range in the wnba
11:33the difference being minnesota shoots a high percentage from that three-point line where
11:38connecticut really struggles from there that shooting team in the w as yuhas picks up her
11:42dribble was looking for coffee that was nearly snatched away by aliyah adwords it's going to stay
11:47minnesota basketball now a three-point difference
11:53konchecking back in for the sun
12:00minnesota playing for the first time this season without olivia miles out for this game the calf
12:05injury which happened in the fourth quarter against new york caldwell is serving the starting lineup in
12:12her place caldwell see the miles on the bench and street close first time this year
12:21mcbride takes the hand off two seconds to shoot she draws the foul another safety veteran mover used
12:28to see it is and it's something michaela bride is so good at and it's going to be important in
12:32this
12:33game that she stays aggressive on the offensive side coming in with three defenders on her but her
12:39willingness to take it to the rim free throws coming up here for kayla mcbride who has been
12:45so incredibly steady for the links when you look over the last nine games 17 points per game
12:51shooting 44 percent she was one of the bright spots against new york with 18 points for threes
12:58to try and make that a closer contest at barclays center
13:08mcbride goes one for two
13:15mcbride goes back on the offensive end shooting 63 percent as a team here is edwards streaking to the
13:21rim and coffee says no
13:26connecticut loves to work out for those elbows right there and that's what edwards does right
13:30here coming off the elbow going in strong but she is met by nia coffee who has been doing this
13:36all
13:36season long the length and the arm strength to get that block the athleticism the timing all of it
13:43together for a phenomenal season for the hopkins brand she's going to check out for olakosu
13:48getting on the way for kennedy burke no good edwards sweeps her way with the reverse
13:54and it's the finesse around the basket and the size and physicality that connecticut's trying to lean
14:00into right now it's the size of this front court according to coach lee but also their agility and
14:05athleticism too that's a big challenge as lacon will pick the pocket of minnesota streaks her way
14:11inside and williams will clear the glass sun can't take advantage of the turnover that's going to be key
14:17for them extra pass caldwell no good that time from distance and griner will gobble up the rebound
14:24rivers so smooth so quick over half course she's immediately fouled
14:33rivers a really athletic guard with her ability to get up get some good shots out she's still kind of
14:42looking for her finesse with her outside shot but a real athlete and shooting 34 percent 20
14:50from deep this season what if your links membership paid for itself with cash in on the ring you'll get
14:56a seat for every remaining regular season home game and if the links win the 2026 wnba championship you'll
15:02get every dollar back already a member members will score a 250 group credit if the links win it all
15:09get
15:09out here cash in on the ring membership today at linksbasketball.com an incredibly exciting unique
15:17deal that the links are running here as this team tries to make a run for a championship that's a
15:22bet
15:22i'm going to take i think they obviously have a great chance to win a championship you get your money
15:26back i love it i love the thought that they're doing this let's build this place up absolutely there's
15:31williams with the floater and she's finding her touch up to six points to lead the links courtney
15:36williams being very patient on the offensive side of the ball block inside howard with the rejection
15:43this time and igniting minnesota on the fast break new hostile swing
15:53now with 10 seconds to shoot williams finds some space and you can't do that against her and it's just
15:59what minnesota does they take the time the patience to work the ball around looking for that open shot
16:05courtney williams finds the exact shot she wants leading all scorers with eight points stepping into
16:10the point guard position which she says takes a lot more thinking you're thinking about everyone else
16:14before yourself but here a three-point play opportunity do that for katie burke on the tip
16:19and kennedy burke is so good at this role that she plays here for connecticut and just using her size
16:25to
16:25get downhill and this is what they need her to do here tonight splitting the defense using her side
16:31size to get to the free throw line and then courtney williams playing with but ness right now taking
16:38that extra pass to get to her spot to knock down the shot free throws coming up here for burke
16:45coming
16:45off a breakout season with new york last year at points per game but 41 from beyond the yard she
16:52get
16:52more threes than her previous three seasons combined now plays a really versatile role for the sun you'll
17:00see her posting up as well whistle away from the ball it's going to go on the car
17:13i think you can read her expression even if english is not her first language that's right
17:20probably sounds better to complain to the officials in french i wonder if they do ever let loose in that
17:25way here's yukas still looking for that first bucket in the lynx uniform since 2024 coming off a euro league
17:32mvp title two minutes to go now in the first quarter awesome adota is fouled on the baseline by yukos
17:41so yukos
17:42with a personal foul and already howard with two of her own director yukos just trying to get comfortable out
17:50there again if you think about it it's it's been a while since she's actually physically played
17:55basketball and now playing with a team that she's practiced with a few times but coming off of injury
18:01and just it takes a little bit of time they had a mid foot sprain and she said she had
18:06to work on her
18:07conditioning her confidence with the foot when it comes to jumping and landing but she's someone who has
18:12had a fantastic off season to mention that euro league mvp but also taking hungary to its first world cup
18:20since 1998 a leader of that team so she brings that increased leadership role plus the confidence
18:26it links this yeah and i love the fact now that we have a big coming up the bench with
18:30so much size
18:31she has the ability to stretch the floor she just brings a lot to this team
18:38she's got hands up getting some early action today with the link shorthanded olivia miles out today with
18:43a calf injury new hops the step through leaves it off for kosu and she can't knock it down
18:53so it's still trailing by five the lob inside and a three-point play for the connecticut sun and aliyah
19:01five words with the finish inside so this is what they're going to continue to do over and over
19:11let's just try to dump this ball inside of minnesota's minnesota's communication and getting there
19:16as that help side defender comes over it has to be quick and they can't hesitate
19:21connecticut is one of the poorest shooting teams in the wnba their 13th in field field percentage last
19:26and three-point percentage so when they are able to get those looks inside they want to pay that off
19:31absolutely high percentage opportunity there comes to fruition for the sun here is williams hand in
19:38her face that's left short long rebound comes away to lakon who's fast
19:45meanwhile connecticut now is its largest lead of this game here in the first quarter putting minnesota
19:51on its heels on its home court and it's been really with their defense they have held minnesota to
19:56shooting 31 percent from the field and so they've come out with really aggressively
20:01kind of locking down and doing what they do and protecting the paint for minnesota
20:06offensively it's been courtney williams leading the way she's got eight points four of eight shooting
20:10the rest of the team one for eight shooting
20:16so lakon with another free throw up
20:25connecticut five for ten from the charity strike so far minnesota three for four is williams
20:31back playing that point guard position with a minute to go in the first quarter
20:44so good looking the way that she makes those quick decisions and knocks down those shots it is
20:50artistry what she does with her shooting you saw right there there was little breathing room and she
20:56mccansett back to back
21:02i thought they were going to call the time out right there they're letting them play through it
21:08no surprise it is the veterans william and williams and mcbride stepping into the spotlight without
21:14their leading score and the only rookie all-star in the wnba this season but right there is burke to
21:20try and silence the crowd with her three-point shot yeah that's a big-time shot right there and if
21:25this connecticut team can start finding their range from the three-point line this could look
21:31totally different
21:34the bubble swing kosu darts into the paint is fouled and that's the style of play that minnesota
21:43needs to play with here tonight against this connecticut team that brings so much length and size and
21:48physicality you have to be willing to go at them and that's exactly what kosu does right here
21:57kosu has taken so many steps this year as an incredibly young player
22:05basically the backup center for this team playing out of position
22:10and she has played steady minutes for the links this season at just 21 years old
22:17three seconds to go for lacan who rises fires can't hit and that's how the first quarter will end a
22:24three-point lead for kinetic and following a late surge by the minnesota links 25 to 22 the sun lead
22:32as
22:32we head to the second quarter getting out on the water anything fun plans you know we live in a
22:37great
22:37neighborhood uh there's a golf course nearby so the kids have been playing golf and playing some tennis
22:42as well but we got to get out to the lake this uh later this summer so matt so i'm
22:48excited to hear
22:49because you have the honor of being at coach reeves hall of fame induction and that is such a cool
22:57thing
22:57to actually be at and so i'm just kind of curious for you what was that like to see her
23:02receive you know
23:03basketball's biggest honor yeah i mean she's a legend and uh to be an active coach in the hall of
23:09fame
23:09uh it was wonderful to meet her whole family was there and and uh she's a living legend and i
23:14was
23:15just honored to be there in knoxville and and obviously the respect that she commands around the
23:19league and then hear about all you read these you read and hear these accolades on uh social media but
23:26to be in a room and have all these great athletes recognizing her it was just wonderful to be a
23:32part of
23:32that well i loved in her speech when she said that her dad always wanted her to get a real
23:36job yeah
23:37i think she's doing okay now we feel blessed to be able to to hear from her every day to
23:45pick her
23:45brain to try and soak up some of that knowledge i'm sure it was just incredibly special to hear her
23:50words such an important place in the sports history yeah she's a great leader uh she's so respected
23:56by her players to hear lindsay and others talk so eloquently about her um just the respect that she
24:03commands is impressive to watch and i love leadership and she's a prime example of what you can do when
24:08you work hard and you're dedicated to your craft well we've already told the fans about this on the
24:12broadcast but i want to hear from you about the cash in on the ring because this is unlike something
24:16i've
24:17ever heard in professional sports 250 gets you the rest of home games all 12 trying to pack things up
24:24here in target set yeah we're really excited about this you know you probably noticed this year uh during
24:29the regular season we opened up the upper level we call it the ring it's kind of the internal moniker
24:33we have for it and we we you know we hadn't opened up the upper level in the past so
24:38there was no season
24:39tickets so we offered uh this promotion and we've already we've already sold uh over 270 season tickets
24:47in our upper level that'll be starting july 11th they'll have 12 games about the halfway mark of the
24:52season and you know we put some real excitement behind it by saying if we win the championship we'll
24:57either refund you or more importantly hopefully put it towards the ticket credit for next year yeah you
25:02really want to build your season ticket base we thought this was a great way to do it the upper
25:06level
25:06get new fans in the building this is such an incredible product and it was a way to really
25:11catch some headlines and it definitely got attention uh so that was the goal generate new fans get people
25:15upstairs i was telling leah that that's a bet that i'd be willing to take for the number one team
25:19in the
25:20wnba the electric atmosphere in here and getting yourself in good position for playoff tickets too yeah
25:26we just thought it would add more even more energy to the to the atmosphere and it's not like there's
25:31like a one percent probability if you look at the betting markets there's a pretty good so it's not like
25:35there's people rolling their eyes like oh we're never going to get refunded i mean right now we have
25:38the best chance anything can happen obviously in the playoffs but secure your seat get the rest of
25:43the regular season and get playoff tickets and then if we win it everyone's going to be cheering
25:47for our fifth ring yeah well what i love about that too matt is one it's very creative so whoever
25:52the
25:52people are behind the scenes they did an amazing job but we see the fans in target center who have
25:58supported this team since day one and they're incredible fans and knowing that there's more people who could
26:04get in this building and who probably want to get into this building um on a promotion like that it
26:10just makes a lot of sense but i just think there's so much excitement that people maybe didn't think
26:14about at the start of the season for this team right now for the minnesota exactly i mean it's one
26:20of
26:20these products it reminds me of uh ice hockey too like once you come inside and experience the energy
26:25you're hooked so we you know if we just announced that we had season tickets available you know 250
26:30dollars you know we don't know if that would grab a lot of attention but by adding the cash in
26:35on the
26:36ring that you can get refund if you win the championship it really you know the hardest thing
26:39is getting people just to try a new product and we think that this is a good promotion to do
26:43it so
26:44early results are great we'll probably have you know well north of 300 season tickets by the time
26:49we're done with it and it'll be all new people in the building i love it seeing some incredible measures
26:53of the
26:54other elements of business success that you're seeing so far tell us more about that whether it
26:58is ticket sales retail viewership and the kind of growth that's palpable right yeah so we have a
27:04uh 34 increase year over year in viewership uh we started with victory plus this year it's a free
27:11app that you can access world links games and viewership numbers like i said are you know 34
27:17year over year we're second in the in the w in tickets sold year over year so uh upwards of
27:2310 percent year over year and then for single game seats for you know which is a really good
27:28moniker because a good metric i should say um we're we're up uh 28 year over year so those
27:34are just outstanding numbers you would expect that with the team performance but it's still
27:38good to see the the metrics play out yeah that's the exciting part i think because we're this team as
27:44we all know we have the four w nba championships but people always want new and more and different and
27:49i think what's been fun is as women's sports is kind of blowing up and all the excitement around
27:54it and the w because of coaches like coach reeve there seems to be more space to come up with
28:00ideas
28:00and ways to get people into buildings and and that's kind of the exciting part about what you guys are
28:06working on right now yeah unless we already have a great fan base right the lower levels mostly sold out
28:11this is you know capitalizing on the great start you know the wfba is exploding the cba which is
28:17extended so it's it's a matter of getting you know new fans in the building whether they're wolves fans or
28:22folks that typically go to hockey games or baseball games it's come join the links uh you know chase
28:29uh to cash in on hopefully their fifth ring well coffee no good from three minnesota still
28:35leading by 232 to 30 here against the connecticut sun in the second quarter currently joined by
28:40timberwolves and links ceo matthew caldwell i bring up victory plus shameless plug for us because we've
28:45been having a great time this year but i have heard so much positive feedback about the accessibility of
28:50this platform and really just how great the podcasts have been so far and being able to find them so
28:55easily whether they're at home or on the road yeah and by the way since we started talking minnesota's been
29:00winning uh so you guys can keep me here if you want stay with us this is good to see
29:05but yeah victory
29:05plus has been a huge hit it's a free app you can download it uh off the apple store um
29:11and uh
29:12there's no paywall or anything so we thought that was important to grow grow the attention and the
29:17viewership numbers as i mentioned are supporting a 34 increase year over year so um you know with cable
29:23continuing to decrease over time to have a streaming option that's free for fans we thought it was perfect
29:29for the w i love it so well let's talk a little bit about the excitement around that we have
29:35two
29:35all-stars on the minnesota links and um one of them's a rookie yeah it's just been so fun and
29:43amazing
29:43and everywhere i go now that's the first question people ask is what is olivia miles like and natasha
29:50howard's amazing but what has that been like for you to kind of witness kind of this brand new talent
29:55and
29:56these all-stars i mean i was there the night she was drafted alex robigas and i met her uh
30:01you know
30:03behind the scenes after she was drafted and we you know congratulated her and you know right away she
30:08said to say it's time to make some some money and i was like this girl's great like she's already
30:11got
30:11the swag she's already just her maturity um you know her basketball iq obviously her performance on
30:18the court's been incredible but the way she's taken all the attention and she's the point guard right so
30:24she's she's out on the court as the leader of the of the team and you can tell all the
30:28veterans are
30:29really responding to her we're just blown away and her maturity her ability to accept all this
30:34attention and obviously she's off to a great start it was fantastic to see her also be top 10 fan
30:40voting
30:40too but she's already made such an impression on the league as we look at the two all-stars for
30:46the
30:46minnesota links a resurgence season for the vet natasha howard olivia miles the leading score
30:51authoring a tremendous rookie season a starter her very first season in the wnba exactly how you would
31:00draw it up but it's come to fruition in just such a fun way for this team to watch absolutely
31:04i mean
31:04i think even cheryl would say they knew she would be great but she's exceeded all expectations and
31:10especially this early uh the other in her first season to play the way she's playing so we're so proud
31:15of her and you know hopefully we get two more wins because then cheryl and her staff will be coaching
31:19the coaching the team so uh then one more win tonight she's going to break the all-time record
31:24so we're excited about cheryl and olivia's been leading the way on the court and hoping we can
31:29celebrate that tonight inside target center with a special moment that is for this franchise for this
31:33league and for coach reid too didn't want to ask about nefisa collier of course she's due to come
31:39back soon anxiously awaiting for when that arrival date will be but also signing uh of course we know
31:45she's with jordan brand but with a p.e coming out soon yeah yeah i mean listen this team has
31:51played
31:51so well without nefisa imagine how the team's going to be when she joins us so she's obviously a star
31:56and uh we're so excited to get her back soon and i know she's excited to play with olivia so
32:01let's
32:01give you a nice car about yeah there weren't many answers on how to limit this links offense before
32:07their teams are just going to be bereft of answers now at this point when she's finally inserted onto the
32:11court yes absolutely no we're we're fired up for her to join well thank you so much for joining us
32:17matthew caldwell timberwolves and lynx ceo appreciate your time yes yes thank you and now
32:23congratulations for joining the tv side well earned and uh we miss you when you're in the national
32:28games but it's great to see you leah congratulations too thanks again we'll be back in a moment all right
32:38going at stewart blocked by stewards 80 wins for her career surpassing her friend mike tebow
32:46for first all time what's funny about this leah is that if it happens today it's exactly 13 years
32:53to the day that mike tebow surpassed fan chancellor's then record back on july 6 2013 and it's funny that
33:01coach we've tied the record against washington could take it against connecticut his two former teams
33:05there's a lot of uh the connection going on here with these two amazing coaches that have so much
33:14respect for each other and it was kind of fun hearing her talk about you know connecticut and
33:19over the years and all of the things but it's it's been a long history of two well-respected coaches
33:25doing a lot of winning and i love that he is in the building here tonight to try and witness
33:30this
33:31they weren't just parallel in their careers they were intertwined winning a 2024 gold medal at the
33:37olympic games in paris france and he told me if someone's gonna break it i'm glad it's a friend and
33:42someone i respect she earned it i'm proud to pass the torch when it does eventually happen because
33:48these two go way back they have a close friendship where they can be real with each other they're not
33:53sugarcoating anything it's not just around those olympic games they really have this similar synergy with
33:59how they challenge players being direct with them and how their players have fit a culture they share that
34:04same philosophy i think they've learned a lot from each other which has been really cool to watch
34:11just two great coaches sharing information willing to uh scrimmage each other in the early parts of
34:18seasons getting to know each other i mean that's kind of one of the great parts of being in the
34:22wmba is the
34:23connections you have with your peers and that one's been a really strong relationship nelson adota on
34:29the putback there this one coping and talking to coach tibo where he said i was looking at college
34:34football teams and how they would stay fresh between the last game of the regular season and a bowl game
34:39and that's why he initiated having these joint practices with coach re over such a long time
34:44here's courtney williams knocking down a three for the links and she is up to 14 to lead all scores
34:52so they go back a long ways regular season postseason preseason as well
34:58and the torch could be passed tonight here at home in downtown minneapolis
35:05foul inside is going to go on natasha howard and leah that is number three on natasha howard
35:14is going to go on natasha first and foremost courtney williams is doing her thing in this game and now
35:18we're seeing her knocking down the three-point shot she's leading the team getting to the mid
35:22range doing a little bit of everything but what connecticut is doing so well is they have 20
35:27points in the paint shooting 52 percent from the field howard and coffee the link starting front
35:34court each with three personal fouls okay you has played seven minutes so far but she's coming off an
35:40injury she's back into the game for the links meanwhile connecticut now eight for 17 from the free
35:49floor line as a team they're shooting just 68 percent from maturity strike
35:59reiner now up to seven points
36:06williams back to assuming her point bar position guarded by jianna neetkins a graduate of duluth marshall
36:16kosu couldn't find anywhere to cut her way inside williams
36:21walled up by neetkins and she's going to lose it a links turnover that's number six for them
36:28connecticut playing a little bit more aggressive right now on the defensive side of the ball
36:33cross court pass to burke it finds its way inside to griner who's fouled on the interior
36:39she's one for four for the free throw line in this game you see how deflating that can be to
36:43minnesota's
36:44defense when you're unable to stop the ball from going inside to britney griner
36:58okay don't miss your chance to score a lynx care bear sherpa belt bag get it with a special ticket
37:04offer for our july 11th game be in the building and leave with a special piece of link swag visit
37:09linksbasketball.com slash promotions to purchase this exclusive offer care bears one of those things i feel
37:46Мирлина now propelling herself into the frontcourt, looking backdoor, but snatched away by Burke.
37:51Once again, ooh, they don't realize Brittany didn't see it.
37:55Деларь steps into a three and cans it.
38:00That's a big pickup right there from Minnesota that takes advantage of an odd Connecticut mistake.
38:09A one-point game under three minutes to go.
38:1241-40 is Connecticut's lead.
38:16But Minnesota trying to make a charge to close them on Victory Plus.
38:21Back here inside Target Center, the Lynx locked up in a close one with the Connecticut Sun.
38:25A one-point lead for the Sun on the road for three minutes to go in the first half here
38:30at Target Center.
38:32Bride will pick up her dribble.
38:35Lacan finds Rivers from deep.
38:38Corny Williams will snare that rebound.
38:41Williams and McBride each scoring 14 points for the Minnesota Lynx.
38:46McBride caught in the air.
38:47She'll turn it over.
38:48He was looking for a jump ball.
38:51It looks like Coach Reeve might have been seeping.
38:58Oh, an important whistle is called on the floor.
39:01It's going to be Minnesota basketball.
39:02All right.
39:03Let's see if Minnesota lucked out on this one.
39:06Ball knocked out of her hand.
39:08And they'll play on.
39:13Williams hesitates, then drains it from the baseline.
39:1716 first-half points for Courtney Williams.
39:20I guess it doesn't matter if she plays the one or the two wherever she's at.
39:24Courtney Williams has had an outstanding season.
39:27Both her and Kayla McBride have combined for 11 of the Lynx's 13 total field goals as Minnesota gets the
39:35ball right back.
39:39That'll be the second personal foul on Brittany Griner.
39:45The Lynx have turned the ball over seven times, but Connecticut's only been able to get five points on the
39:51bat.
39:51So that's where Connecticut has to pick up on taking advantage of Minnesota's miscues.
40:00Two minutes to go in the first half here at Target Center.
40:04Yuhat slides up a three.
40:06Off target that time.
40:08She is 0 for 3 shooting in this game.
40:10Her first game back in a Lynx uniform since 2024.
40:15But it has been McBride and Williams running the show here for the Lynx.
40:25Kosu nearly able to poke that away from Nelson to Dodo.
40:29The turnaround, hope, is going to go for Griner.
40:33Griner's kind of just having her way out there.
40:36Coach Green talked about her before the game, saying a resurgence of sorts for her this season.
40:41She averaged a career low under 10 points per game last year in Atlanta.
40:46Kayla McBride with a finger hole was good.
40:52But Griner leading her team with 11 points, the only son in double figures.
41:00Burke on the attack gets the step, and she will lay it in.
41:04You can just see how good she is and her ability to get to her spots.
41:09She's a versatile player with her speed and size and shooting ability.
41:18Minnesota, of course, playing without their leading score.
41:21Olivia Miles out today with a calf injury.
41:23Now, five seconds to shoot for Minnesota's offense.
41:26A couple dribble pull-up for Williams.
41:29It's not going to go.
41:30Solid defensive stance right there from Connecticut.
41:32Really does a nice job in forcing Minnesota to play through the whole shot clock.
41:3830 seconds to go.
41:40Griner, the lob inside, met by the health defense of Dilar.
41:44And she's still going to earn a trip to the free throw line.
41:46She's attempted six today.
41:50And this is what Connecticut does so well, getting to the free throw line.
41:54They've had 20 attempts in this game already.
41:56And this is the thing, getting Griner the ball right down low where she wants it.
42:00The health defense is there.
42:02It's just that Darka comes down a little bit.
42:04She had the verticality and just comes forward just a little bit.
42:08Sends her to the free throw line.
42:10Kofi with three personals, Howard with three, and now Juhasz with two.
42:14So just when Minnesota was getting that extra depth in the frontcourt, Dirk Dirka Juhasz making her season debut after
42:21missing the first 20 games.
42:23And all three paying attention to those personal fouls.
42:29Connecticut can be a little better here from the free throw line.
42:33They have left some points on the free throw line.
42:37And that is, that's what, they get there so well, but they have to knock them down.
42:42Against Dallas, they were 22 for 35 and a three-point loss.
42:48That's incredible.
42:50The long game.
42:52A two-second, very much so.
42:54A two-second differential shot in game clock.
42:57I wonder if we're on the way for that, too.
42:58But 21st half free throws for them.
43:00Able to shed rivers.
43:02Williams finds a cutting.
43:04Dirka Juhasz stopped inside.
43:07So 1.8 seconds to go.
43:15And it will actually be a shot clock violation for Minnesota.
43:20And a final attempt here for the Sun with 2.1 seconds to go.
43:25And another whistle will go on the Minnesota Lynx.
43:30And 16 personal fouls in this first half against Minnesota.
43:41Defending without fouling, I'm guessing will be a conversation in the locker room.
43:48And it's something we talked about in your keys to the game, Leon.
43:51Where Minnesota had to get out of that rut.
43:55Early on this season felt like they found that good groove defensively.
43:59But certainly you look at 23 free throws for Connecticut here in this first half alone.
44:05And this is what they do.
44:07This is how Connecticut helps get some points on the board.
44:13Final shot opportunity here for McBride who lops it up.
44:17And that's no good.
44:18It is a 4-point lead for the Connecticut Sun at the break.
44:2148-44.
44:23And a really solid first half for Connecticut.
44:26Shooting a real...
44:26Find more balance offensively.
44:28Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams combined for 12 of the team's 14 field goals in the first half.
44:34Well, we see that Coffey and Howard.
44:36Coffey played 11 minutes.
44:37Howard, 9.
44:38They're both getting into foul trouble.
44:39And the bench only has scored 6 points.
44:42So, yes, we need some help for Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams.
44:46McBride with 16 points.
44:49Williams with 14.
44:51And Minnesota will turn it over on the first possession of the second half.
44:54Of course, they're playing their first game this season without All-Star starter or living in miles.
44:59They're leading scorer with top 10 in the WNBA in assists per game.
45:04It's Courtney Williams back in that lead guard spot.
45:07It's a whistle is called.
45:09And that will go on Williams.
45:11Her first.
45:13Courtney Williams trying to navigate through some screens down there with the great Brittany Griner.
45:18But it may just be so and without Olivia and how well the team has functioned with her.
45:24The Lynx trying to get used to the ball movement and how things just feel a little bit different
45:28when she's not on the floor.
45:30It's not just picking up from last year.
45:32It's a different team, different dynamic when it's miles versus Williams leading the show.
45:38Inside Nelson Dota with a second chance opportunity.
45:41Mia Coffey trying to be careful now.
45:43Play straight up and down.
45:44No fouls.
45:45So, if Connecticut gets positioning, they're going to score.
45:49Coffey has three.
45:50Howard has three.
45:51And Dorky.
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