The Minnesota Lynx needed five games to reach their first WNBA Finals in seven years, but did so with relative ease on Tuesday night against the Connecticut Sun.
The Lynx defeated the Sun in the winner-take-all game of the WNBA semifinals 88-77, with a 10-9 lead until the final whistle.
Minnesota led by as many as 24 in the matchup at the end of the third quarter before going all the way to the final score.
Napheesa Collier led all scorers with 27 points for the Lynx, followed by Courtney Williams who scored 24.
Four of the five starters for the Sun reached double figures in scoring, with Dijonai Carrington leading the way with 17.
Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx qualified for the WNBA Finals on Tuesday evening
The Lynx defeated the Connecticut Sun in a decisive fifth game of the WNBA Semi-Finals
The Lynx now await the challenge of the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals as the top two teams of the WNBA regular season.
Minnesota won three of four games with New York this season, including the final of the Commissioner’s Cup, the league’s season tournament.
New York does have home field advantage for the WNBA Finals, with Game 1 taking place Thursday at Barclays Center. Game 2 is on Sunday.
Until last season, it had been 21 years since the Liberty appeared in the WNBA Finals. Now they are in the championship series for the second straight season.
New York will take sole possession of second place in WNBA history with six Finals appearances, while Minnesota will appear in seventh place.
The Lynx will also look to break their ties with the Seattle Storm and the now-defunct Houston Comets to win their fifth WNBA championship. New York has never won a WNBA title.
