Cheryl Reeve had no trouble explaining exactly why her Minnesota Lynx stumbled in one of the most difficult road environments in the league. Eight-game winning streaks rarely come to an end quietly, and she did not have any trouble explaining why her team was unsuccessful.

Speaking at a news conference after the June 13th loss to the Las Vegas Aces, Reeve stated, "For whatever reason we were back on our heels to start the game and obviously dig a whole. That's what we said to them, just give us a chance, you know just fight fight fight, and let it fall, wherever it may."

With three early triples from Chelsea Grey, Las Vegas got off to a strong start, built a double-digit lead within five minutes, and extended it to 15 points before halftime. Minnesota allowed a season-high 57 points in a half, which was a season-high that they allowed.

Olivia Miles came close to saving Minnesota on her own, despite the fact that she got off to a slow start. The rookie's 29 points were a career high, and she had a chance to win the game with less than 30 seconds remaining, but her step-back shot rimmed out just before the buzzer sounded.

Both teams improved to 10-3 as a result, but Las Vegas clinched first place in the WNBA standings because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.

In spite of the fact that they were still missing Napheesa Collier, the Lynx could match the defending standard-bearers shot for shot, demonstrating that Reeve's message about persevering in the face of adversity was serious.

The schedule doesn't slow down for Minnesota, despite the perseverance in Las Vegas.

Lynx Look To Bounce Back Against Portland Fire

When they host the Portland Fire on June 15, the Lynx will be looking to get back on track fast. Coming off a rough road trip, Minnesota's home-field advantage could be crucial. They have been among the league's most dominant teams this season.

Minnesota has been impressive over its past five games, except for Saturday's loss. Before losing to Las Vegas 97-100, the Lynx dominated on June 1 (111-77) against the Phoenix Mercury, June 2 (87-84) against the Golden State Valkyries, June 3 (88-68) against the Seattle Storm, and June 9 (100-76) against the Dallas Wings.

Portland is in a weaker position going into this game. On June 13, the Fire lost badly to the Aces (89-105) before barely edging out the Dallas Wings (84-83).

The 72–78 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, the 77–95 loss to the Golden State Valkyries, and the 72–89 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks are all recent results that haven't helped their cause.

If Portland wants to slow down Minnesota at home, they'll need to find answers quickly.

Can the Lynx bounce back at home against Portland? Comment down.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta