Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
Twitter
As part of Flashback Friday, we take a look back at the 2017 regular season and the top five moments for the Minnesota Lynx.
5. Franchise-Best Start
The Lynx got off to a start that no other team in franchise history has.
In the first 22 games, which spanned over three-plus months of the regular season, Minnesota began the season with a franchise-best record of 20-2 overall.
That hot start propelled the Lynx to conclude the season with a 27-7 record, leading them to claim the top seed in the playoffs and a spot in the semifinal round next week. They finished with best record in the WNBA for the fifth time in seven seasons.
4. Clinching Playoff Berth In July
During their franchise-best start to the season, Minnesota was the first team in the WNBA this season to clinch a playoff spot.
In July.
The Lynx beat Seattle on July 30 to improve to 19-2 overall and clinch a spot in the postseason during the month of July for the second straight season and the third time in the last four years.
Minnesota, of course, went on to claim the best record in the league and the No. 1 spot in the playoffs at the end of the regular season, but it’s still impressive that they were able to call themselves a playoff team once again in July, with over a month left to play in the regular season.
3. Whalen Becoming All-Time Winningest Player
I know this isn’t entirely a team milestone, although Lindsay Whalen credits her team for helping her along the way, but it’s still one of the top moments of the season.
On June 9 in a win over the Washington Mystics in Washington D.C., Whalen recorded win No. 295, becoming the WNBA’s All-Time winningest player in league history.
With win No. 295, Whalen surpassed Swin Cash (294) for the most in WNBA history.
Heading into the playoffs, Whalen holds a career win total of 307 games, with hopes of that number continuing to climb in the future.
Yeah, 307 games in 14 seasons. Just incredible.
2. Record-Setting Game Against Indiana
On Aug. 18 against the Indiana Fever, the Lynx recorded probably their most impressive win of the season.
And possibly the most impressive win in WNBA history.
Minnesota beat Indiana 111-52 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, highlighted by a 37-0 run in the first half.
That 59-point win is the largest margin of victory in franchise and WNBA history.
The Lynx set numerous other records in the game, including:
- Largest halftime lead in WNBA history (45, 68-23).
- Most points in a first half in franchise history (68) and the 68 first-half points are the second-most in league history for first halves (69, Phoenix vs. Minnesota on July 29, 2010).
- Most field goals made in any half in franchise history (27).
- Tied the most points in any quarter in franchise history (37, happened twice – 37 in the third quarter vs. Seattle on Aug. 7, 2007 and in the fourth quarter at Phoenix on Sept. 3, 2008).
- The 37-0 Lynx run that spanned 12 minutes and 59 second over the course of the first half was the most consecutive points in any game in WNBA history.
The win was one of the most impressive games that we have seen and will see in some time.
1. Winning Out To Take No. 1 Seed
In the third and final matchup of the regular season on Aug. 27 in Los Angeles, the Minnesota Lynx fell in a hard fought game to the Los Angeles Sparks.
That had some people worrying if Minnesota would drop to the second seed once the playoffs began earlier this week.
The Lynx, though, didn’t worry. They knew they controlled their own destiny.
Minnesota needed to win the final three games of the regular season to clinch the top overall seed in the playoffs and clinch the best record in the WNBA for the second year in a row.
Mission accomplished.
The Lynx had to dig deep and fight through players being out with injuries to recover and win those final three games of the season and earn the No. 1 spot in postseason play.
The strong performance to end the season by Minnesota is definitely one of the top moments of the regular season.
And now, the Lynx hope to carry that play into the semifinal round of the playoffs, which begins on September 12 at the University of Minnesota.