Perhaps frustrated by back-to-back losses to the Sun in Connecticut but clearly outraged by a perceived bias when it comes to foul calls, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve and her players struck a unified pose after Thursday's 82-71 loss in Uncasville.
One by one they opened with a statement crediting the Sun for its strong play, particularly by DeWanna Bonner, who made 10 of 17 shots and scored a season-high 31 points.
After that? All they wanted to talk about was the 25-10 discrepancy in free throws, a margin that was 41-17 in the Sun's two victories over Minnesota this week, wins that pushed Connecticut (17-6) into a first-place tie with Las Vegas atop the WNBA standings.
For example: "I'll start by commending Connecticut for the great team that they are, and DeWanna Bonner's great game,'' Reeve said. "She was hard to play against, she made some tough shots. That being said, it's absolutely unacceptable that our team can only shoot 10 free throws after shooting just seven the other night. Twenty-five to 10. …. There was a massive discrepancy from a personal foul standpoint (24 called on the Lynx vs. 18 on the Sun). That's unacceptable. That's not fair to this team. It's not fair to the players in this locker room.''
Asked about the Connecticut defense, Reeve said: "Twenty-five free throws for the Connecticut Sun and 10 free throws for the Minnesota Lynx.''
Asked about a difficult two games for Napheesa Collier, who made a combined 7 of 22 shots and totaled four rebounds, Reeve said: "Twenty-five free throws for the Connecticut Sun and 10 free throws for the Minnesota Lynx."
You get the idea.
The Lynx never led, trailing by 14 heading into the fourth quarter. Minnesota pulled within 74-69 with 1:39 left on Bridget Carleton's three-pointer. But the Lynx (13-8) were outscored 8-2 over the final 99 seconds, with six of those eight Sun points coming from the free-throw line.
Bonner had 11 rebounds to go with her 31 points and had more free-throw attempts (11) than the Lynx. Jonquel Jones had 20 points and seven rebounds.
The Lynx were led by Sylvia Fowles' 18-point, 11-rebound, two-assist double-double. Layshia Clarendon had 15 points and eight assists. Collier had 11 points but was 4-for-15 shooting.
The Lynx were outscored 13-4 on second-chance points, outrebounded 31-22 and trailed 18-17 on points off turnovers.
BOXSCORE: Connecticut 82, Lynx 71
Clarendon, speaking after Reeve, followed the same line, crediting Connecticut, questioning the free throws. "My answer is 25 to 10,'' she said when asked a question. "And that's the answer I'm going to give to every question, so …''
This is not a new chip on the Lynx's collective shoulder. The Lynx won a game vs. Las Vegas July 9 at Target Center, becoming the first team in league history to win a game without attempting a free throw.
After Thursday's game, Reeve shared a couple of stats. Before the Lynx played two games in Connecticut, the team's free-throw rate — a stat that compares the number of free throws attempted with field goals attempted — was .256 and Connecticut's was .258. So both teams were about even in terms of getting attempts.
Defensively, the Lynx were fourth best in the league in limiting other team's free-throw attempts. The Sun entered the game with opponents having a .270 free-throw rate, fourth worst in the league.
And then?
"Just wanted to say Connecticut played a really good game,'' Collier said. "DeWanna played a really good game. So kudos to them. But it's hard when they're shooting 25 and we're shooting 10, and that's going to be my answer to every question.''
The Lynx, 13-9 after consecutive losses, remain in fourth place. They play at Chicago Saturday before returning home to host Seattle on Tuesday.
The Star Tribune did not travel for this event. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the event.
