Buzzsawed By The Best

Aces 113

Lynx 89

Sunday night provided a nice litmus test for the resurgent Lynx.

Following their miserable 0-6 start, they had won 9 out of 12, including 5 in a row. Napheesa Collier has been playing MVP level ball. Diamond Miller and Dorka Juhasz have been shining as rookies. 

But, to be fair, 8 of the 9 wins were all against teams with losing records. Sure the Lynx can beat teams at their level, but the Las Vegas Aces are something else entirely. Defending champs, 16-2 record, 4 all stars. I wasn't even going to this game expecting a win. But how would the Lynx fare?

Well, not too well as it turns out. The Lynx didn't even play that poorly, and it was still a rout.

A Kayla McBride 3 opened the scoring, but this one and only Lynx lead was quickly buried under a shooting avalanche the likes of which I don't know I've ever seen. 

Vegas hit their first 7 shots. It felt like they never missed all night. They quickly built a double digit lead. They were just throwing daggers. The Lynx weren't even playing that bad and yet it didn't matter. Vegas led by 9 after 1, and it was never a single digit game again beyond the early 2nd. 

Collier and Miller had the occasional burst to pull the Lynx back within a distance where it could maybe be a game, but then like a blur the Aces would always rip off a few in a row. 

Rachel Banham drained a buzzer beating 3 at the halftime buzzer, and the Lynx scored first in the 3rd to close it to a 10 point game. But that was it. Vegas ran off a 10-0 run shortly after this to pretty much end the competitive phase of the game. 

They just couldn't miss. They shot over 60% for almost the entire game, only dipping just below that threshold a couple times. The absurd 17 threes were the most crushing. Some of it was sloppy Lynx defense, sure, but it wasn't just that. The Aces just could not miss.

Facing that, you have to be perfect. And the Lynx weren't. Again, I don't think they played that badly. They had a reasonable number of turnovers. They missed a few gimmies. They shot 50% themselves. But they still got handled on their home court.

I wouldn't sweat it that much. The Lynx are an improving team, but they aren't close to being in the class with one of the best teams the WNBA has ever had.