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Minnesota Lynx eliminated: Where the playoffs went wrong — and what's next

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | By Will Ragatz | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 11:43 AM ET

A special Minnesota Lynx season came to an anticlimactic, disappointing end on Sunday night in Phoenix. Without their suspended head coach and their injured superstar, the Lynx squandered two separate leads of 13-14 points and fell to the Mercury, 86-81, in Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals. Kayla McBride's valiant 31-point effort wasn't quite enough.

It capped a stretch of three straight losses after the No. 1-seeded Lynx had cruised to a win in the second half of Game 1. Not once during a 34-10 regular season did Minnesota lose three consecutive games; Cheryl Reeve's team only lost two in a row one time all year.

Instead of getting back to the Finals and having a chance to avenge last year's heartbreaking, controversial five-game loss to the Liberty, albeit against a different opponent, the Lynx have entered the offseason earlier than anyone anticipated they would. And it's going to be a big offseason for Reeve, who is the franchise's president of basketball operations as well as the head coach.

The reality facing the Lynx is that they missed out on two golden opportunities to win a championship over the past two seasons, and for multiple reasons, they aren't going to be able to fully run it back with the same group in 2026. That was the driver behind the emotion visible on McBride's face in a postgame press conference Sunday.

"It's the people," she said when asked what hurt most about the season ending. "I've been here five years, and to be so close... you just want it for the people around you. In pro sports, it doesn't get any better than what we had in our locker room. And that's why I'm emotional. Because we lay it out for each other.

"I wouldn't trade that locker room for anything. I would feel like this 100 times over to be with the people that I've been with. That's why it's painful, because you just want it to keep going."

Where the playoffs went wrong

The loss that will haunt the Lynx the most isn't either of the games in Phoenix. It's Game 2 at Target Center last Tuesday. With a little under six minutes left in the third quarter, Napheesa Collier hit a three that put Minnesota up 59-39. ESPN's analytics estimated they had a 98.9 percent chance to win the game at that point, which would've given them a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-game series.

Then the Lynx completely melted down. Their next six possessions included five turnovers and a missed layup as the Mercury went on a quick 12-0 run to get back in the game. Turnovers continued to be an issue in the fourth quarter, most notably a five-second inbounds violation with 47 seconds left and a three-point lead. A Phoenix offensive rebound led to Sami Whitcomb's game-tying three in the final seconds, Collier's elbow jumper missed at the buzzer, and the Lynx lost a stunner in overtime.

The fourth quarter was a disaster in all three losses. Minnesota lost the final period by eight points in Game 2, 12 in Game 3, and 18 in Game 4 — a combined score of 77-39. All three games were tight in crunch time, and the Lynx couldn't summon the execution or defense or shotmaking to pull any of them out. Game 3 featured Collier's injury on a controversial play and Reeve's subsequent ejection and postgame tirade, which led to her suspension for Sunday's game.

Offseason preview: What's next?

The Lynx enter the offseason facing all kinds of questions. How much of their core will they be able to retain? How long of a recovery process is Collier looking at with her ankle injury? Where do they need to improve the roster as they look to get over the hump in 2026?

Here are a few key elements of the offseason to be aware of.

Free agency

Nearly the entire Lynx roster is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. That includes all five starters — Collier, McBride, Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton, and Alanna Smith — as well as their top three bench pieces in Jessica Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman, and DiJonai Carrington. Only Dorka Juhasz (who sat out the season) and rookie Anastasiia Kosu are currently under contract in 2026. Maria Kliundikova is an exclusive rights free agent.

That doesn't mean it's time to panic or assume that a big chunk of the roster will wind up leaving. Ongoing negotiations over the WNBA's collective bargaining agreement make the entire league's immediate future a bit uncertain, but the Lynx will do everything they can to retain their star players and as much of their core as possible. It's hard to imagine Collier or McBride, for example, going anywhere else.

Expansion draft

The WNBA added a 13th team in Golden State this past year. Two more teams are joining next year as part of the league's expansion: Portland and Toronto. By 2030, the league will be at 18 teams. The W is growing rapidly in so many ways.

Two more teams means another expansion draft this offseason, with twice as many players needed for the league's newest franchises. Last December, the Lynx lost Cecilia Zandalasini to the Valkyries in that process. They can protect most of their key players, but they're set to inevitably lose a couple in the next expansion draft, the details of which have not yet been announced.

WNBA draft

The 2026 WNBA Draft will take place sometime next April after the conclusion of the 2025-26 women's college basketball season. The Lynx, thanks to a savvy trade with the Chicago Sky during the most recent draft, hold the No. 2 overall pick next year. That will allow them to add a high-upside player who can immediately bolster their depth.

The top three picks, in some order, are expected to be 6'7" UCLA big Lauren Betts and standout guards Azzi Fudd (UConn) and Olivia Miles (TCU). After Dallas picks at No. 1, the Lynx are guaranteed to have their choice between two of those three players (or anyone else who emerges in the next college season).

Plenty of decisions lie ahead, but the Lynx should enter the 2026 WNBA season as one of the championship favorites again.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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