Lynx fade out, but the future is very bright

The Seattle Storm finished off their sweep of the Lynx. 

The buzzer beater loss of game 1 became a competitive but convincing loss in game 2 and now game 3 was kind of just a cakewalk for the Storm. 

I'm gonna be totally honest with this one. I saw almost none of game 3. But I saw enough from the first 2 games to know that Seattle was just flat out better (if not for Stewart's injury last year they'd be going for a threepeat), but that this Lynx club was worthy of being one the WNBA's final four.

The issue was not even beating Seattle in this series. That wasn't going to happen, even if they did steal game 1. The issue is how do you close that gap to where you are on an even level with Seattle. 

It's a good question to have, cause it means you are on the right path. The Lynx have so aced their brief post-dynasty era that what may have originally seemed destined for a long rebuild instead saw them have a terrific 2020 season, and their 1st playoff win in 3 years. 

The REbuild is done. Now it's about the building to that next level. 

This season had Napheesa Collier firmly establish herself as a star. Crystal Dangerfield became ROY and the kind of point guard any team would want. It seemed like every game a different bench player was stepping up and having a big game, like Cheryl Reeve has some sort of wizard powers to just pluck players out of nowhere. Who the hell was Bridget Carlton? I don't know, but Reeve did, and brought her in, and suddenly she was posting big numbers.

They were the 4th best team in the league, even being without Sylvia Fowles for much of the season, without Odyssey Sims for half the season, losing Karima Christmas-Kelly and never even getting Jessica Shepard or the Italian bird.

This roster was unexpectedly deep, and it showed.

Now the big, very obvious elephant in the room is what happens next year with Maya Moore. She did interviews recently and was asked if she might return to play basketball, and she didn't exactly dismiss it. If she does have an Itch to come back, I think this is a team that she would want to play with. If you plop Maya Moore onto this Lynx roster you have an instant title contender. Even if she isn't quite the same force she was in 2017, her last great season, she's still a difference maker. 

And of course, even though the Lynx haven't had a top pick the last 2 years they aced their drafts. This roster is going to get better next year no matter what.

I feel very confident saying that the Lynx next championship is not that far off.