The Minnesota Lynx came from nearly being just a win away from sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in their semifinal matchup in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs to dealing with a tied series ahead of back-to-back postseason games in enemy territory.

 That wild swing happened after Napheesa Collier and company squandered a 20-point lead and lost, 89-83 via overtime, in Game 2 of the Mercury series at Target Center in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Minnesota also had a 16-point lead at the half, but the Lynx couldn’t hold on to it amid a frenetic third-quarter attack by the visiting Mercury. Phoenix went on a tear coming out of the half, as they put together a 12-0 run, confounding the Lynx.

“They ripped the game from us,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve shared after the game, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

Phoenix’s erasure of its 20-point deficit to win Game 2 was also the third-largest comeback in WNBA postseason history. While it was a cause of celebration for the Mercury, the game was something that Collier and the Lynx will have to forget right away. The Lynx can’t afford to sulk, with the series shifting to Arizona for the next two games. What would have been a chance for the Lynx to end the series in three games turned into a guarantee for Phoenix to have at least two more home games in the playoffs. 

That’s a huge boost for the Mercury’s outlook in this series, especially with momentum now on their side.

Collier gave Phoenix props for its resiliency, but there must be a lesson for her and the Lynx to learn from their meltdown.

“You have to play like that to get back in the game, and that’s exactly what they did,” said Collier.

Collier paced the Mercury with 24 points, while Kayla McBride added 21 points. Courtney Williams provided 20 points and dished out nine assists to go with seven rebounds, but she turned the ball over seven times. As a team, Minnesota had 18 turnovers.

Game 3 is set for Friday at PHX Arena.