Much like other leagues in the country, the WNBA is helping sports fans get their basketball fix while we all await the resumption of sports around the globe.
The league announced on Monday that, in advance of its upcoming 2020 season this summer, it has made WNBA League Pass available free to fans for 30 days, expiring on April 30. The free 30-day trial gives fans access to full-length replays of any game from the 2019 season.
To take advantage of the offer by the WNBA, fans can click here to create a League Pass account, using the promo code “WNBAFREE30” to get access to the 30-day trial on iOS, Android, Chromecast, Apple TV or PC devices.
With every game from the 2019 season now available for fans, that got us thinking: what are some of the top Minnesota Lynx games to go back and re-watch first from last summer?
Here are just five games that stand out from the rest from the 2019 campaign for the Lynx.
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5. Record-Breaking Night for Fowles
MINNESOTA LYNX 75, PHOENIX MERCURY 62
(July 14, 2019 in Minneapolis)
Coming in at No. 5 on the list of games to go back and re-watch from the 2019 Lynx season is a game on July 14, 2019 when the Lynx hosted the Phoenix Mercury at Target Center in Minneapolis.
That game was a memorable contest for both Minnesota and its star center Sylvia Fowles, who had a record-breaking performance in a victory at home.
Fowles paced the Lynx to a 75-62 win over Brittney Griner and the Mercury — their sixth win in the previous eight contests — by out-performing the fellow star center in the paint throughout the game.
RECAP STORY: Fowles Sets WNBA Record as Lynx Take Down Mercury
While being able to hold Griner to just 12 points and five rebounds, Fowles tallied a double-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 33-plus minutes on the floor. With that double-double, Fowles continued her dominant start to the 2019 campaign by recording her 158th career double-double, surpassing Lisa Leslie for most double-doubles in WNBA history.
“When you beat Lisa Leslie, there’s nothing better than that. To beat an LA Spark to be No. 1. (Leslie) is my favorite LA Spark, so it was awesome,” Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve said after that game. “Credit to Syl for an amazing career. … She’s just incredible and she’s relentless. She just finds a way. I’m really proud of her and am really thankful to be a part of so many double-doubles of that big number.”
FEATURE STORY: In Expanded Role, Sylvia Fowles Enjoying Another Dominant Season in 2019
Fowles ended up wrapping up the 2019 season with 14 double-doubles, ranking second in the WNBA. Heading into 2020, she remains atop the league leaderboard in career double-doubles.
The game against Phoenix was memorable for both Fowles and Minnesota, just another example of the dominant career Fowles has had throughout her basketball career.
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4. Most Complete Win of the Season?
MINNESOTA LYNX 89, CONNECTICUT SUN 57
(Aug. 9, 2019 in Minneapolis)
At No. 4 on the list of must-watch games from 2019 is a game from Aug. 9, 2019 between the Lynx and the Connecticut Sun at Target Center.
While heading into the WNBA All-Star Break, Minnesota welcomed a then-league-leading Connecticut squad into Minneapolis, putting together perhaps its most complete game of the summer.
Behind solid play on both ends of the floor, the Lynx blew out the Sun 89-57, recording an incredibly impressive victory against a team that at the time had won seven straight games and went on to eventually reach the WNBA Finals at the end of the year.
RECAP STORY: Lynx Blow Out League-Leading Sun at Target Center
In that game, Minnesota jumped out to a 54-25 lead going into halftime, tallying the second-largest advantage in a half in the WNBA in 2019. It was also the second-largest halftime lead in franchise history, trailing only the 45-point lead at halftime against Indiana in 2017.
Leading the way for the Lynx in the contest was Fowles with 17 points and 12 rebounds, with Danielle Robinson (14 points), Stephanie Talbot (14 points), Odyssey Sims (12 points), Damiris Dantas (11 points) and Napheesa Collier (10 points) also tallying double-digit scoring marks.
Minnesota was on fire from the field in that win, shooting 53.7 percent from the field with nine 3s, also holding Connecticut to just 30.9 percent from the field.
If you are looking for a game that was arguably the most impressive and most complete performance of the 2019 season for the Lynx, this game is definitely it.
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3. We’re Talkin’ About Playoffs
MINNESOTA LYNX 93, CHICAGO SKY 85
(Aug. 27, 2019 in Minneapolis)
Coming in at No. 3 on the list of Lynx game to re-watch from 2019 is a contest from Aug. 27, 2019 at Target Center against the Chicago Sky.
In the middle of a four-game homestand, Minnesota held its own destiny as far as if it reached the playoffs once again in 2019 while also trying to extend its winning streak to three games in a row.
On a Tuesday night in Minneapolis, the Lynx were able to accomplish both of those things with a 93-85 victory over the Sky.
With that win, Minnesota clinched a spot in the postseason for a ninth straight season, extending its dominant string of consecutive playoff appearances that branches back to 2011.
RECAP STORY: Lynx Clinch Ninth Straight Playoff Berth with Win over Sky
“It’s much later than we would have liked,” Reeve joked after that game regarding clinching the playoff berth. “This season has been different. … It’s a great accomplishment and I want to make sure that they celebrate those successes, although it is just the first step.”
In the game, the Lynx came from behind to grab the win on their home floor, outscoring the Sky 25-15 in the fourth quarter to erase a two-point deficit to win by eight. That late-game run was sparked by some great hustle plays by the rookie Collier, including a game-changing block to protect a lead with about 6:30 remaining in the final quarter.
In the win, all five Lynx starters managed to tally all 93 of their points, marking the most points scored by a team without a single bench point since Chicago scored 94 points against the Lynx in 2013. Fowles led Minnesota with 25 points and 12 rebounds, followed by Sims with 23 points, Collier with 19, Dantas with 17 and Robinson with nine.
There were plenty of signature games and big moments throughout the season for the Lynx, but this come-from-behind win to secure another playoff appearance is one of the top moments from 2019.
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2. Securing yet another winning season
MINNESOTA LYNX 83, PHOENIX MERCURY 69
(Sept. 6, 2019 in Phoenix)
Nearing the top moment and game from the 2019 campaign for the Lynx, coming in at No. 2 is a contest against the Phoenix Mercury on the road on Sept. 6, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
If you remember, Minnesota ended the regular season last year playing some of its best basketball of the summer heading into the playoffs. This game in Phoenix is one that was one of those key victories down the stretch of the regular season schedule, taking on a tough Phoenix squad on its home court.
The Lynx went into Phoenix and took down the Mercury in a convincing 83-69 win, seeing their winning streak move to a then WNBA-best five games in a row with a few games remaining before the postseason began.
More importantly in that game, Minnesota clinched yet another winning season, the ninth straight season it has been able to do so stretching back to the 2011 summer.
RECAP STORY: Lynx Win Fifth Straight to Secure Winning Season
Another reason why this win was an important one for the Lynx to secure in September was due to the fact that they were still trying to fight for positioning in the playoffs, seeming to have swapped with the Seattle Storm between the sixth and seventh seeds nearly every night.
Minnesota ultimately dropped to the No. 7 spot in the playoffs to head to Seattle to face the sixth-seeded Storm, but this game was at the time important in the attempt to continue to make a jump in the standings.
Sims had a stellar offensive performance with 22 points, nine assists and five rebounds to lead the Lynx in the win. It was the eighth time in franchise history that a player was able to record over 20 points, five rebounds and eight assists in a single game.
Behind Sims, Dantas had 17 points, Collier added 14 points and Fowles had 11 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks while moving up to second on the WNBA’s all-time rebounding list, trailing only former Lynx post and current Minnesota assistant coach Rebekkah Brunson.
During the latter portion of the regular season schedule while gearing up for another playoff appearance, this win for the Lynx on the road was a signature victory that put a cap on another winning season and extended a winning streak along the way.
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1. Napheesa Collier’s Memorable Debut
Minnesota Lynx 89, Chicago Sky 71
(May 25, 2019 in Minneapolis)
When it comes to the most memorable game for many Lynx fans from the 2019 season, you have to go back a ways since the top performance and game came during the first regular season contest of the summer on May 25, 2019 at Target Center.
Going into the 2019 campaign, a lot of people had questions surrounding Minnesota and how it would be able to try and bounce back without the likes of staple players Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson.
One player the Lynx were looking for immediate help from was the rookie wing Collier, who was drafted by Minnesota with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft just a few months prior.
After Collier went through the postseason somewhat quietly, she broke onto the stage in the season opener in Minneapolis, leading the Lynx to an 89-71 victory over the Chicago Sky.
RECAP STORY: Collier Shines in Debut as Lynx Cruise in Season Opener
Concluding a preseason slate that including a combined total of 10 points and six rebounds in two games, Collier made her regular-season debut as a professional by getting her first career start and breaking out for 27 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 33 minutes. Her 27 points were the most recorded by any WNBA player in a debut since Candace Parker scored 34 points for Los Angeles in 2008.
“I think I just realized tonight that I was starting, the team was counting on me. I needed to go out there and play as aggressively as I can, so I wouldn’t be a liability for the team,” Collier said after that game. “I just tried to go out there and play as hard as I could.”
Behind Collier, Fowles added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Robinson had 13 points, Sims finished with 11 points and Lexie Brown contributed off the bench with 10 points.
Collier didn’t waste any time breaking onto the scene for the Lynx and that season-opening performance was just the first standout game for what would evolve into a Rookie of the Year and WNBA All-Star campaign. In 2020, Minnesota is once again going to rely heavily on the now second-year wing out of Connecticut.
There are a lot of solid games to go back and re-watch from the 2019 Lynx season. And now you can fill that sports fix by going back and watching any game from last summer with this limited-time offer on WNBA League Pass.
Happy basketball binge-watching, Lynx fans.
