Lynx become first WNBA team to secure playoff berth ahead of showdowns with champion Liberty
And they didn't need a win Tuesday night to clinch their spot. In fact, they didn't even play. The Lynx became the first team to clinch a WNBA playoff spot this season thanks to the Indiana Fever's 81-80 loss to the Dallas Wings.
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And they're on pace to lock up the No. 1 overall seed, barring a collapse down the stretch. As of Tuesday, the 27-5 Lynx hold a 6.5-game lead over both the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream for the best record in the league with 12 games left in the regular season.
And they've won three straight games without All-Star and MVP favorite Napheesa Collier, who remains sidelined with a sprained ankle that's expected to sideline her through Saturday's game against the Liberty at a minimum.
The Lynx already defeated the Liberty on Sunday without Collier. They face two more consecutive games against the Liberty on Saturday and Tuesday. After that, they face another test in a road game against the Dream on Aug 21.
Those games will mark Atlanta's and New York's best long-shot chances of chipping away at Minnesota's lead in the standings.
The Lynx will enter the playoffs seeking to advance to the WNBA Finals for a second consecutive season. Last season, they lost to the Liberty in tightly contested five-game series. This time, they'll look to have home-court advantage secured against whatever opponent they face if they advance to the Finals again.
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