The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Connecticut Sun, even the series 1-1

MINNEAPOLIS — Through two games into the WNBA semifinal matchup, one thing seems clear about the relationship between the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx, who won Game 2 on Tuesday 77-70.

They are not – at least in this series – on friendly terms.

What started out as a Tuesday night playoff game nearly descended into an 1980s Bulls-Pistons affair as the officiating crew in Minneapolis seemed to blow its whistles far less than it otherwise would have. There were hard fouls, cheap shots and endless trash talk. There were a few moments where it looked as if a fight might happen.

“People don’t fight,” said Lynx guard Courtney Williams, who finished with 17 points. “It’s just playoff basketball.”

But Williams also admitted that her team knew it had to match the strength of its opponent after losing in the first game.

“The first game they were tweeting and talking, so we had to give it back to them,” Williams said. “Basketball game, man.”

After both teams combined to miss their first 14 shots, the chaos that characterized Game 1 of the series returned on Sunday.

Sun standout Marina Mabrey wrestled with Navisa Collier, the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, for a loose ball in the first half before officials stepped in between the players and teammates who had come to support them.

At various points in the game, Kayla McBride and Bridget Carlton fell to the ground and had their mouths examined for blood after colliding with the Sun players. Alyssa Thomas, who stuck out her tongue after a layup earlier, grabbed her right ankle after a bruised struggle in the paint. McBride drew a technical foul when she checked Mabrey’s hip in the second quarter.

However, the most dramatic moment between the two teams erupted in the fourth quarter when McBride knocked Dejonai Carrington off her mark while driving to the rim for a late turnover. Carrington sat on the court for a moment. She then jumped out and headed toward McBride before being blocked by her teammates.

“We all have to keep each other calm and focus on the goal in front of us,” said Carrington, who scored 14 points. “We know that no matter which team we play, they’re going to try to test us, whether it’s through tough fouls, whether it’s chirping. We just have to stick together and make sure we (stay) focused on the goal, so that’s really what I saw there.”

DeWanna Bonner said she expects that aggression from both teams.

“There will be difficult moments,” Bonner said. “It’s a win-or-go-home deal, you know? So everyone wants it, and emotions are high. We’re just two competitive teams competing. That’s all it is.”

For the Lynx, Game 2 had a different atmosphere than Game 1. Although Collier (3-for-14) struggled in her second straight outing after a record-breaking first-round effort against the Phoenix Mercury, the Lynx did not lose. Their composure.

That helped Miesha Heinz-Allen (seven points) give the team key buckets and energy off the bench. Hines-Allen, sister of Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, flexed in the second half after a layup helped Minnesota extend its lead.

Since the Lynx acquired Hines-Allen in August from the Washington Mystics, it has given them a renewed toughness in the paint that has helped them take on tougher teams like the Sun.

“She brings that physical presence, and when you have someone like that coming off the bench as well, that’s someone you don’t want to play against,” said Alana Smith, who finished with 15 points (3-for-4 on 3). indicators). “You see her come on the court and say ‘s—.’ When you have a player like her coming off the bench, who is a physical enforcer but also a great player — she passes great, rebounds very well, sets great screens, does the little things well.” Really — we’re counting on her to come off the bench and bring that fear because you can’t sleep when our bench comes in and I think she’s a big reason why.”

The Sun still holds the lead this season with three wins over the Lynx in five games as the series now returns to Connecticut. But Suns coach Stephanie White said the Lynx were the tougher team on Tuesday, which couldn’t be the case if her team intended to advance to the Finals and win the WNBA title for the first time in franchise history.

“It’s an emotional game,” White said. “That’s part of the reason we love it. We’re competitors, they’re competitors. We have great players, they have great players. I think we just have to make sure we channel it the right way. Everybody wants everybody fighting for a championship.”

In the third quarter, Williams and Mabry continued to talk over each other even when an official tried to get them to stop. That was the tone of the entire game as the WNBA’s best defensive teams refused to give up in a crucial game.

Despite the animosity, Williams said everyone will advance in the end, but only after the playoffs.

“Oh, we were talking,” Williams said of the exchange with Mabry. “I told her she couldn’t guard me. She told me I wasn’t playing a lot of good games. I said, ‘Do you think you’re under pressure?’ ‘Cause I’m really feeling the pressure.” It’s the playoffs, man, we’ll talk a little bit after we’re done playing.