2020 Minnesota Lynx season
2020 Minnesota Lynx season | |
---|---|
Coach | Cheryl Reeve |
Arena | Originally: Target Center Rescheduled to: IMG Academy gymnasiums, Bradenton, Florida |
Attendance | 0 per game |
Results | |
Record | 14–8 (.636) |
Place | 4th (Western) |
Playoff finish | 4th Seed, Lost in Semifinals to Seattle Storm |
Team Leaders | |
Points | Crystal Dangerfield – 16.2 ppg |
Rebounds | Sylvia Fowles – 9.7 rpg |
Assists | Crystal Dangerfield – 3.6 apg |
The 2020 WNBA season is the 22nd season for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season began on July 26, 2020, versus the Connecticut Sun.[1]
This WNBA season will feature an all-time high 36 regular-season games.[2] However, the plan for expanded games was put on hold on April 3, when the WNBA postponed its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Under a plan approved on June 15, the league is scheduled to hold a shortened 22-game regular season at IMG Academy, without fans present, starting on July 24.[4][5]
The Lynx' season started strongly, as the team won five of their first six games, with their only loss coming to the Seattle Storm. They won three of the next five to hold a 8–3 record at the halfway mark of the season. The team finished the season with a 3–2 stretch of five games and a 3–3 stretch of the last six games. Their overall 14–8 record earned them the fourth seed in the playoffs.
As the fourth seed, the Lynx earned a bye into the Second Round. They faced off against the Phoenix Mercury, and won a very close game 80–79. With that win, they advanced to face Seattle in the Semifinals. The Lynx lost the first game in the series by two points, and then were defeated by ten points and twenty-one points in games two and three. The three game sweep ended the Lynx' season.
Transactions
[edit]WNBA draft
[edit]Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Mikiah Herbert Harrigan | ![]() ![]() |
South Carolina |
2 | 16 | Crystal Dangerfield | ![]() |
Connecticut |
Trades/Roster Changes
[edit]Date | Details | |
---|---|---|
February 11, 2020 | F Rebekkah Brunson retired and was hired as an assistant coach of the Lynx.[6] | |
February 25, 2020 | Acquired G Rachel Banham from the Connecticut Sun in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2021 WNBA draft.[7] | |
February 29, 2020 | Signed F Cecilia Zandalasini[8] | |
March 6, 2020 | Traded the 14th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft and their second round pick in the 2021 WNBA draft to Indiana Fever in exchange for G Shenise Johnson and the 16th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft.[9] | |
April 17, 2020 | Traded F Stephanie Talbot to New York in exchange for the draft rights for G Erica Ogwumike.[10] | |
May 25, 2020 | Waived G Linnae Harper and G Erica Ogwumike[11] | |
May 31, 2020 | Moved G Odyssey Sims to an Inactive List and suspended F Jessica Shepard[12] | |
June 17, 2020 | F Cecilia Zandalasini announces she will be opting out of the season due to COVID-19 and signed F Megan Huff[13][14] | |
July 30, 2020 | Waived F Karima Christmas-Kelly and signed F Erica McCall[15] | |
August 6, 2020 | Activated G Odyssey Sims and waived F Megan Huff[16] |
Roster
[edit]2020 Minnesota Lynx roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Game log
[edit]Regular season
[edit]2020 game log Total: 14–8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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July
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August
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September
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2020 season schedule |
Playoffs
[edit]2020 playoff game log Total: 1–3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Second Round
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Semifinals
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2020 playoff schedule |
Standings
[edit]# | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Conf. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | x – Las Vegas Aces | 18 | 4 | .818 | – | 8–2 |
2 | x – Seattle Storm | 18 | 4 | .818 | – | 8–2 |
3 | x – Los Angeles Sparks | 15 | 7 | .682 | 3 | 5–5 |
4 | x – Minnesota Lynx | 14 | 8 | .636 | 4 | 4–6 |
5 | x – Phoenix Mercury | 13 | 9 | .591 | 5 | 4–6 |
6 | x – Chicago Sky | 12 | 10 | .545 | 6 | 6–4 |
7 | x – Connecticut Sun | 10 | 12 | .455 | 8 | 7–3 |
8 | x – Washington Mystics | 9 | 13 | .409 | 9 | 6–4 |
9 | e – Dallas Wings | 8 | 14 | .364 | 10 | 1–9 |
10 | e – Atlanta Dream | 7 | 15 | .318 | 11 | 5–5 |
11 | e – Indiana Fever | 6 | 16 | .273 | 12 | 4–6 |
12 | e – New York Liberty | 2 | 20 | .091 | 16 | 2–8 |
Playoffs
[edit]First round: Single elimination (September 15) | Second round: Single elimination (September 17) | Semifinals: Best-of-five (September 20–29) | WNBA Finals: Best-of-five (October 2–11) | |||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Las Vegas Aces | 62 | 83 | 68 | 84 | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | Minnesota Lynx | 80 | 7 | Connecticut Sun | 87 | 75 | 77 | 75 | 63 | |||||||||||||||
5 | Phoenix Mercury | 85 | 5 | Phoenix Mercury | 79 | 1 | Las Vegas Aces | 80 | 91 | 59 | ||||||||||||||
8 | Washington Mystics | 84 | 2 | Seattle Storm | 93 | 104 | 92 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Seattle Storm | 88 | 89 | 92 | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Los Angeles Sparks | 59 | 4 | Minnesota Lynx | 86 | 79 | 71 | |||||||||||||||||
6 | Chicago Sky | 81 | 7 | Connecticut Sun | 73 | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Connecticut Sun | 94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
Statistics
[edit]Legend | |||||||
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GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | TO | Turnovers per game |
PF | Fouls per game | Team leader | League leader |
Regular season
[edit]Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crystal Dangerfield | 21 | 19 | 30.0 | 47.1 | 33.3 | 92.2 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 16.2 |
Napheesa Collier | 22 | 22 | 34.2 | 52.3 | 40.8 | 82.9 | 9.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 16.1 |
Sylvia Fowles | 7 | 7 | 24.1 | 60.9 | 0 | 82.8 | 9.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 14.6 |
Damiris Dantas | 22 | 22 | 26.6 | 46.4 | 4..6 | 72.7 | 6.1 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 12.9 |
Odyssey Sims | 13 | 7 | 18.5 | 40.4 | 33.3 | 90.9 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 6.9 |
Rachel Banham | 20 | 1 | 17.0 | 46.2 | 47.2 | 80.0 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 6.9 |
Bridget Carleton | 22 | 15 | 25.8 | 52.0 | 45.7 | 64.3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 0 | 6.6 |
Lexie Brown | 17 | 13 | 22.0 | 34.2 | 26.9 | 79.2 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0 | 6.4 |
Shenise Johnson | 17 | 4 | 12.5 | 34.1 | 35.3 | 89.3 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 5.1 |
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan | 21 | 0 | 11.1 | 36.6 | 42.4 | 71.4 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 3.8 |
Erica McCall | 19 | 0 | 9.4 | 35.6 | 25.0 | 81.8 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2.7 |
Kayla Alexander | 16 | 0 | 5.6 | 53.3 | 0 | 62.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.3 |
Awards and Milestones
[edit]Recipient | Award/Milestone | Date Awarded | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Napheesa Collier | Western Conference Player of the Week | August 17, 2020 | [17] |
2nd Team All-Defense | September 29, 2020 | [18] | |
All-WNBA Second Team | October 4, 2020 | [19] | |
Crystal Dangerfield | WNBA Rookie of the Month – August | September 1, 2020 | [20] |
WNBA Rookie of the Month – September | September 15, 2020 | [21] | |
Rookie of the Year | September 17, 2020 | [22] | |
All-Rookie Team | September 27, 2020 | [23] | |
Cheryl Reeve | Coach of the Year | September 17, 2020 | [24] |
References
[edit]- ^ "2020 Minnesota Lynx Schedule". sparks.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Atlanta Dream Announce 2020 Schedule - Atlanta Dream". dream.wnba.com. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ "WNBA Statement Regarding the Start of the 2020 Regular Season". April 3, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ "WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 Season". WNBA. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to start late July in Florida". NBC Sports Washington. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ "Brunson's Retirement Launches Next Chapter Of Her Lynx Career". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. February 11, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Minnesota Lynx Acquire Rachel Banham". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ^ "Lynx Re-Sign Forward Cecilia Zandalasini". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Minnesota Lynx Acquire Shenise Johnson from Indiana". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ "Get To Know Erica Ogwumike". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ "Minnesota Lynx Waive Linnae Harper and Erica Ogwumike". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Lynx finalize roster; Shepard, Sims not among initial 12". startribune.com. Star Tribune. May 31, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ "Lynx's Cecilia Zandalasini skipping 2020 WNBA season". startribune.com. Star Tribune. June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "Lynx Sign Forward Megan Huff". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "Lynx Awarded Erica McCall From Waivers". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ "Lynx Activate Odyssey Sims". lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ "Bonner, Collier Earn Players Of The Week Honors For Week 3". wnba.com. WNBA. August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
- ^ "Two Atlanta Dream Players And Seattle Storm's Alysha Clark Headline 2020 WNBA All-Defensive Team". wnba.com. WNBA. September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ "A'ja Wilson And Candace Parker Unanimously Selected To 2020 All-WNBA First Team". wnba.com. WNBA. October 4, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ "Crystal Dangerfield Earns Rookie of the Month Honors". wnba.com. WNBA. September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ "Crystal Dangerfield Earns Rookie of the Month". wnba.com. WNBA. September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ "Crystal Dangerfield Named WNBA Rookie Of The Year". wnba.com. WNBA. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "Rookie Of The Year Crystal Dangerfield Headlines 2020 WNBA All-Rookie Team". wnba.com. WNBA. September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ^ "Cheryl Reeve Named WNBA Coach Of The Year". wnba.com. WNBA. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.