The Minnesota Lynx needed five games to reach their first WNBA Finals in seven years but got it done with relative ease over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night.
The Lynx took down the Sun in the winner-take-all game of the WNBA semifinals 88-77, leading from 10-9 until the final whistle.
Minnesota led by as many as 24 in the matchup at the end of the third quarter before coasting to the final result.
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-digit scoring, with Dijonai Carrington leading the way with 17.
Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx advanced to the WNBA Finals on Tuesday night
The Lynx defeated the Connecticut Sun in a decisive fifth game of the WNBA Semifinals
The Lynx now await the challenge from the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals as the top two teams from the WNBA’s regular season.
Minnesota did win three of four matchups with New York this season, including in the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup, the league’s in-season tournament.
New York does have home-court 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’re in the championship series for the second season running.
New York will take sole possession of second place in WNBA history with six finals appearances, while Minnesota will appear in its seventh.
The Lynx will also look to break their tie with the Seattle Storm and the now-defunct Houston Comets to win their fifth WNBA championship. New York has never won a WNBA title.