Let’s explore the multitude of reasons behind the Lynx’s semifinal loss, examining tactical missteps, psychological breakdowns, player absences, and the Mercury’s resilience, in an effort to understand where it all went wrong for Minnesota.

A busy offseason lies ahead for Cheryl Reeve and the Lynx, who won't be able to completely run it back in 2026.

The Mercury’s relentless pursuit combined a high-powered offense and a stingy defense as the scrappy Lynx team, led by Kayla McBride’s 31 points, nearly brought the series back to Minneapolis for a winner-take-all Game 5.

Since then, they’ve dropped two straight games, blowing a 20-point lead in Game 2 and subsequently dropping Game 3 on Friday night. To make matters worse, Napheesa Collier exited the game in visible pain with 22 seconds to play, seemingly injuring her ankle on the final play of the game.

Sloane Martin tells the story of the game beyond what fans see on TV, and brings fans exclusive conversations with the standout player of each game — a role she treasures.

Since a runner-up finish a year ago, the Lynx focused on winning it all in 2025. Instead, they're out in the semis.

On Sunday night, the Minnesota Lynx suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Phoenix Mercury, ending their 2025 season far earlier than they were hoping. The Mercury took down the Lynx 3-1 in the semifinals, clinching their spot in the WNBA Finals to face off against either the Las Vegas Aces or Indiana Fever, while the Lynx will be watching from home.

PHOENIX − As the WNBA playoffs started, Napheesa Collier took a moment to reflect on the emotion of the weeks ahead. The Lynx All-Star was anticipating a postseason stretch that ended sooner than Minnesota wanted,