The Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury delivered a WNBA playoff classic on Tuesday night at Minneapolis’ Target Center, with the Mercury mounting a stunning 20-point comeback to topple the top-seeded Lynx 89-83 in overtime. This dramatic Game 2 result evens their best-of-five semifinal series at one game apiece and sends the action to Phoenix with everything to play for. For Lynx fans, it’s a bitter pill—especially as the loss snapped Minnesota’s perfect 10-0 playoff record against the Mercury at home.
Heading into the night, the Lynx were riding high. They’d dominated Game 1 and looked poised to take a commanding 2-0 lead, especially after building a 20-point cushion in the third quarter. But playoff basketball has a way of flipping the script in an instant, and the Mercury, led by a relentless Alyssa Thomas, refused to fold. “When we play like that we can do anything,” Thomas said after the game. She finished with 18 points, 13 assists—a Mercury playoff record—and eight rebounds, embodying the grit and belief that fueled Phoenix’s comeback.
The game’s early stages seemed to favor Minnesota in every way. The Lynx, searching for their fifth WNBA championship and redemption after last year’s heartbreaking Finals loss to the New York Liberty, came out firing. Napheesa Collier, celebrating her 29th birthday, set the tone with nine first-quarter points, three steals, and a palpable sense of urgency. By halftime, the Lynx had stretched their lead to 16, outscoring the Mercury 27-13 in the second quarter. Collier led all scorers with 17 points at the break, while Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams chipped in with double-digit efforts.
But Phoenix, the fourth seed with a chip of their own, refused to be written off. Satou Sabally, who struggled in Game 1, turned things around early, matching her previous outing’s scoring in the first quarter alone. She and Thomas kept the Mercury within striking distance, while Kahleah Copper provided timely buckets and Natasha Mack anchored the paint. Still, as the third quarter unfolded, it looked like the Lynx might cruise to another home playoff win. That’s when the Mercury flipped the script.
The third quarter saw Phoenix outscore Minnesota 22-14, fueled by a 12-0 run that capitalized on seven Lynx turnovers. Suddenly, the lead was down to eight, and the Mercury’s confidence was growing. “Too many turnovers,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts noted, and the stats backed him up: Phoenix forced mistake after mistake, turning defense into offense and chipping away at the deficit.
As the fourth quarter ticked down, the Mercury’s belief was palpable. Alyssa Thomas kept orchestrating, finding shooters and crashing the glass. Sami Whitcomb, a spark plug off the bench, delivered the game’s defining shot—a cold-blooded three-pointer with just 4.3 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 79. The play was made possible by Thomas’ offensive rebound after a missed shot. “Credit to (Alyssa Thomas). I took a terrible shot before that and she got the rebound,” Whitcomb said. “We all trust each other to take those shots, so I’m blessed they trusted me with that.”
With the game tied, Lynx fans held their breath as Collier, the team’s MVP candidate, had a clean look at a game-winning jumper as time expired. But the shot rimmed out, sending the contest to overtime—a rare sight for a Lynx squad so dominant at home in the postseason.
In overtime, the Mercury took control, outscoring the Lynx 10-4. Thomas continued her all-around brilliance, and Whitcomb’s confidence was infectious. The Mercury’s bench, which had struggled for much of the game, stepped up when it mattered most. For the Lynx, the story was reversed: Minnesota’s bench managed just three points all night, and their stars looked gassed as Phoenix seized the moment.
Collier finished with a game-high 24 points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and one assist—a valiant birthday effort, but not enough to deliver the win. Kayla McBride added 21 points, while Courtney Williams stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. On the Mercury side, Thomas’ near triple-double was complemented by Whitcomb’s 13 points and six assists, while Sabally and Copper provided steady support.
The loss stings for the Lynx, who are searching for their first title since 2017 and aiming to become the winningest franchise in league history. Last year’s Finals defeat to the Liberty—decided in a winner-take-all Game 5 overtime—still looms large in their collective memory. “You feel that loss for a long time,” Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman told USA TODAY Sports earlier this season. That pain, she said, has fueled Minnesota’s record-breaking campaign, but Tuesday’s collapse is a reminder of just how unforgiving the playoffs can be.
For the Mercury, this win is monumental. Not only did they snap Minnesota’s perfect home playoff run against them, but they also avoided the dreaded 0-2 hole—no WNBA team has ever come back from such a deficit in a best-of-five series. The series now shifts to Phoenix’s PHX Arena for Game 3 on Friday, where the Mercury will have a chance to ride their home crowd’s energy and put the Lynx on the ropes. Game 4, if necessary, is set for Sunday in Phoenix, with a potential Game 5 back at Target Center on September 30.
Both teams entered the semifinals after impressive regular seasons. The Lynx finished atop the standings at 34-10, while the Mercury posted a strong 27-17 mark, good for fourth. The other semifinal pits the Las Vegas Aces—led by newly crowned MVP A’ja Wilson—against the Indiana Fever, who are missing rookie sensation Caitlin Clark due to injury. The 2025 WNBA Finals, which will be a best-of-seven series for the first time in league history, begin on October 3, with the Lynx holding home-court advantage if they advance.
Injury news continues to shape the postseason. The Lynx are without guard Dijonai Carrington, who suffered a significant left foot sprain in the first round and will miss the rest of the playoffs. The Mercury, meanwhile, are at full strength—a luxury at this stage of the season, and one that paid dividends in Tuesday’s comeback.
Off the court, the Lynx’s “Stud Budz”—Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman—have captured fan attention with their signature pink hair and Twitch streams, adding a touch of flair to Minnesota’s championship quest. But on Tuesday, all the style in the world couldn’t stop the Mercury’s surge.
With the series now tied and momentum swinging wildly, fans can expect more fireworks as the WNBA’s best battle for a spot in the Finals. Can the Lynx regroup and reclaim their edge, or will the Mercury’s resilience carry them to another upset? The next chapter unfolds Friday night in Phoenix, and if Game 2 was any indication, no lead is safe and nothing is guaranteed.
As the dust settles on a wild night in Minneapolis, one thing’s clear: this semifinal series is far from over, and both teams have plenty left to prove.