Lynx, Sun will play in a decisive Game 5 after Connecticut rallies for victory

UNCASVILLE, CONN. – The WNBA semifinals are headed back to Target Center for a winner-take-all Game 5 and suddenly the Lynx have a defensive problem.

Its name: Ty Harris.

Up by as many as 10 in the second quarter, the Lynx went cold on offense and couldn’t stop the Sun at the other end in a 92-82 loss to Connecticut at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday. In a position to close out the series, instead the Lynx will play host to a game on Tuesday night to decide who plays the top-seeded New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals, which start in New York on Thursday.

Up 10 with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left in the second quarter, the Lynx were outscored 61-41 over the final 23:24 of the game.

One big reason was Harris. Limited in the first three games of the series because of an ankle injury, she returned to the starting lineup, electrifying the Sun offense. She hit seven of 11 shots, including four of five three-pointers, and scored 20 points.

She gave the Sun more ball-handling on top, more depth off the bench, more problems for the Lynx.

And Harris wasn’t alone. She was one of five Sun players who scored in double figures in coach Stephanie White’s very tight six-player rotation. Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. DeWanna Bonner had 18 points, eight rebounds, four steals and a block.

All that was too much for the Lynx, who shot 18-for-31 in the first half but just 10-for-26 in the second.

Napheesa Collier continued her playoff run, scoring 29 points with 13 rebounds. Natisha Hiedeman came off the bench and scored 16 points. Courtney Williams scored 11.

The Sun led by as many as 15 with just over three minutes left.

Collier had 14 points in the first quarter, which ended with the Lynx up seven, the same margin the Lynx established with a 14-7 start to the game.

The second quarter was quite a different story. With the Sun drawing foul after foul — Connecticut went 8-for-9 on free throws in the quarter — both teams picked up the offensive pace.

With Williams on the bench with three fouls, Hiedeman scored 10 points in the quarter.

In back-and-forth action the Lynx made 10 of 16 shots, hit five of seven threes and scored 28 points. But the lead was still 50-43 when the half ended. That’s because the Sun found its offensive rhythm, hitting nine of 15 shots, both three-pointers and getting to the line.

The Lynx pushed their lead to 10 twice in the quarter. But the Sun came within four when DiJonai Carrington stole the ball from Hiedeman and scored with four seconds left in the half.

However, Hiedeman got off a buzzer-beating heave from beyond 30 feet that went through the net, putting the lead back to seven.

But the Sun kept up the offensive pressure in what became a disastrous third quarter for the Lynx. The Sun had found its offense and the Lynx couldn’t stop them.

Connecticut made 11 of 20 shots, three of five threes and outscored Minnesota 25-13. That turned the Lynx’s seven-point halftime lead into a 68-63 deficit entering the fourth quarter. The Lynx made just four of 16 shots in the quarter, missing all six three-point attempts.

It was a sign of things to come for the Sun, who scored 77 points over the final three quarters.