Scoggins: Lynx’s challenge grows steep in WNBA Finals against Liberty

One of the loudest cheers at Target Center in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals came when Minnesota icon Lindsay Whalen was shown on the arena videoboard. The crowd roared when Whalen held up her championship ring from the Lynx’s fourth title.

Roughly 90 minutes later, the Lynx and every fan were reminded just how hard it is to win one of those rings that Whalen held in her hand.

Sabrina Ionescu’s step-back 28-footer with one second left on the clock was the staggering punch that pushed the Lynx to the brink of elimination, which could happen Friday night in Game 4.

In a short series, every loss feels doubly impactful. A last-second loss at home after leading throughout feels especially excruciating.

The Lynx have less than 48 hours to flush it and move on, physically and emotionally. That task isn’t easy, considering the stakes and missed opportunity to inject elimination pressure into the New York Liberty’s locker room.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, a veteran of championship battles, went to work on the messaging to her team immediately afterward.

“There are so many ups and downs and swings,” she said. “It takes special mental toughness and physical toughness to weather those swings. It’s important that you don’t get too high when you win or too low when you lose. And it’s really, really hard. We’ve got to dust ourselves off and get another crack at it.”

In terms of tension and drama, this series has delivered a full plate. The only gripe is that this isn’t a best-of-seven event.

Game 1 went to overtime, Game 3 decided on a last-second shot.

The Lynx have won after trailing by 18 on the road and lost after leading by 15 at home.

The competition has been fierce. The physicality of both teams leaves no room for timidity. Players are going to be sore and covered in bruises when this is over.

“Nothing is easy because this is the Finals,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said. “Everything is going to be tough. We’re going to make everybody work for it.”

Stewart said the Lynx “punched us in the face” at the start of Game 3, metaphorically speaking.

“For me, I was motivated, I was mad,” she said.

Mad that the Liberty were losing by double digits, she clarified.

The Lynx had reason to be mad when they woke up Thursday morning. They missed 26 shots in the paint (14-of-40 shooting). That was the difference between leading the series and now facing a must-win game.

The Liberty’s size advantage and swarming interior defense deserve credit, but the Lynx also missed open shots and shots they ordinarily make.

That is a regrettable takeaway from Game 3, something that will be hard to shake if the Lynx don’t win the next two games. They played with tremendous competitive fight and force. Their defense was exemplary in holding the Liberty to 80 points. They just missed too many shots at the rim.

“Our defense gave us a chance to win the game,” Reeve said. “Our offense has got to help our defense.”

The Liberty has more star power and more options when things get tense, or someone is having an off night. New York’s Big Three of Stewart, Ionescu and Jonquel Jones took turns making clutch shots in the second half of Game 3.

Before the game, Stewart was named first-team All-WNBA. Ionescu and Jones made the second team, which was brought to Ionescu’s attention after she made the biggest shot of the series.

“That was just a great All-WNBA second-team performance,” she joked.

Said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello: “It’s not about your schemes in these moments. It’s about how hard you want to compete.”

That’s why it would be unwise to suggest the Lynx blew their chance to win title No. 5. Their defense gives them a chance to extend the series, though the health of center Alanna Smith looms large.

Smith was limited to less than 20 minutes in Game 3 because of foul trouble and back problems. The Lynx depend almost entirely on their starters. The drop-off is significant after that.

Fatigue probably contributed to their poor shooting in the fourth quarter, and now they have a quick turnaround for Game 4. The Lynx have surprised everyone all season, though. They are a tough, resilient group. This will be the ultimate test of that.