The Minnesota Lynx appear to be on track to break the club’s record for the best start to a season, which is 13 straight wins achieved in 2016. In 2017, the team matched that victory streak, finishing the start of the season with a perfect record of 9-0. As of the 2025 WNBA season, the team has secured eight consecutive victories, including their latest wins against the Phoenix Mercury and Golden State Valkyries.
Minnesota Lynx 74 – 71 Phoenix Mercury
The game ended with scores very close to each other, indicating how tough it was. The Phoenix Mercury were determined to secure a home win, while the Minnesota Lynx sought their sixth victory to keep their winning streak alive. Even without Napheesa Collier, the Lynx showed great strength without their starting player and leading scorer. Jessica Shephard, Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams began the game for the Lynx, while Kathryn Westbeld, Satou Sabally, Sami Whitcomb, Kitija Laksa, and Monique Akoa Makani started for the Mercury.
It was a game characterized by alternating leads for both teams, but by the end of the first half, the Phoenix Mercury were ahead by one point (39-38). Entering the third quarter, they preserved their lead to finish at 58-53. During the fourth quarter, both teams exchanged leads, but the Mercury achieved their largest and longest lead in this period. With less than 15 seconds remaining in the game, the score was tied at 71-71, prompting the Mercury to take a full timeout.
In the inbound play, McBride stole the ball to gain possession for the Lynx, passing it to Courtney, who assisted Natisha Hiedeman for a three-pointer with less than six seconds left in the game.
Team Statistics
Jessica played a crucial role in rebounding, gathering 10 rebounds and scoring eight points for the Lynx. Kayla recorded 20 points, and Alanna contributed 19 points. Sabally achieved a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Mercury. Kalani Brown, who came off the bench, scored 15 points.
Minnesota Lynx 86 – 75 Golden State Valkyries
Napheesa returned after missing the previous game. She recorded a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Valkyries had just secured their second win of the season, defeating the Phoenix Mercury. They were determined to replicate their victory and end Minnesota’s winning streak as they led at halftime by one point (52-51). However, the third quarter turned out to be low-scoring for them, managing only eight points and enduring stretches without scoring for over two minutes.
This allowed the Lynx to create a gap and build on it to finish with an eleven-point lead. Courtney also contributed highly towards the win, scoring 20 points. Kate Martin scored 14 points off the bench for the Valkyries, while Veronica Burton contributed 21 points. This marked the seventh consecutive win for the Minnesota Lynx.
Minnesota Lynx 88 – 65 Phoenix Mercury
In less than a week, the Lynx and Mercury faced each other in another home game for the latter. The Mercury are still dealing with player challenges, as three of their key players are injured and not playing. Alyssa Thomas has been sidelined for the past few games due to a left calf injury, along with Natasha Mack (back) and Kahleah Copper (left knee). The Lynx led at halftime with a score of 43-35.
They outscored the Mercury in three quarters, except for the first quarter, in which they trailed by four points. Napheesa recorded another double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Alanna and McBride each contributed 13 points for the Lynx. For the Mercury, Lexi Held and Sabally combined for 31 points.
Record
The Minnesota Lynx are one game away from tying their 2017 record when they won the WNBA championship and started with a perfect 9-0 record. This isn’t the first time the Lynx have achieved a perfect 8-0 run, as they reached the same record in the middle of the 2021 season. In 2016, the team had a 13-game winning streak at the start of the season. They play again on Sunday against the Dallas Wings, whom the Lynx have defeated in both of their earlier matchups this season.
