Lynx beat Liberty to win Commissioner’s Cup: ‘You got to talk about us now’

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It’s pretty clear Cheryl Reeve thinks not enough people are talking about the Minnesota Lynx in the landscape among the WNBA’s top teams.

The Lynx went out and proved they deserved to be there Tuesday night with a 94-89 win over the New York Liberty to win the Commissioner’s Cup. It’s an in-season tournament, much like what the NBA  started, and they compete for a $500,000 prize pool. Every Lynx player got about $30,000 by winning the Commissioner’s Cup.

Maybe more important, the Lynx are exceeding early-season expectations, which were not high.

"We don’t want you guys to talk about us. We’re making you talk about us," Reeve said before the game. "You got to talk about us now, you've got no choice. We don't really care what you think, except for right now, when we get to say to you, 'You've got to talk about us.'"

The Lynx won their seventh straight game, improved to 13-3 on the season and are one game behind the Liberty for the best record in the league. After the win, players popped champagne, took pictures with a trophy and waited for their hard-earned money.

Napheesa Collier had 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals as she continues to make her case for MVP.

"It means a lot. It was a test to see where we were at this point in the season. This is the best group, the way we're jelling, the chemistry," Collier said.

The Lynx had five players in double figures, led by Bridget Carleton’s 23 points.

Minnesota got the win despite 24 points and 11 rebounds from Breanna Stewart, and 23 points and 10 rebounds from Sabrina Ionescu.

The Lynx won four WNBA titles from 2011-2017, but the stars from those rosters have all retired. The Lynx have made the playoffs five of the last six years, but have only advanced to the semifinals once. That could be changing this year.