The Minnesota Lynx head into tonight with a path to the Commissioner’s Cup final, but it is a narrow one. Minnesota needs to beat the LA Sparks and have the Las Vegas Aces lose to the Phoenix Mercury to get there.
The games both tip at 10 PM, and the standings leave no room for error. The Lynx were tied with the Aces at 5-1 in Cup play before the final slate, which means Minnesota can do its part and still fall short if Las Vegas handles Phoenix.
That is what gives the Lynx Vs Sparks matchup its weight today. Minnesota beat Portland on Monday, then Cheryl Reeve said, “We were locked in, as we should have been,” while adding that the focus was on “trying to win a home game and trying to stay in the hunt in the Commissioner’s Cup.”
The setup also explains why the other game matters just as much. Las Vegas faces Phoenix on USA, while Minnesota’s game against LA is on WNBA League Pass, and the winner on one court may not be enough on its own.
There is still a layer of uncertainty beneath the simple math. Minnesota needs help from Phoenix, but the tiebreaking path is not spelled out here, which means the Lynx could finish level with Las Vegas and still need the right sequence elsewhere to move on. That is the kind of detail that turns a good night into a missed final.
For Phoenix, the pressure is real too. The Mercury entered the finale on a three-game losing streak, and Nate Tibbetts said, “There’s definitely urgency,” before adding, “We know that we need to be playing better. But at the same time, you’ve got to have patience.”
For Minnesota, the issue is simpler and harsher: win, and keep waiting on the other score. Lose, and the chance at a third consecutive Cup final is gone before the late game even ends.
