The Lynx practiced on Tuesday afternoon in preparation to play the Mystics in a Wednesday afternoon day game.

The Mystics are the best offensive team in the league, especially when Elena Delle Donne plays, as she will on Wednesday. Washington has only lost two games with Delle Donne in the lineup. They are an extremely dangerous team and coming to the Lynx at a moment when Minnesota is on its heels a bit after losing three of four.

“We saw them in the preseason but it’s not the same,” said Reeve. “They are obviously a well-oiled machine offensively. This is a team that’s been together and working towards the team that they have this year for a while. They’re really good at what they do… When you take something away, because they’ve been playing together for so many years, they know what they’re doing.”

Both the game and its context are enormously important for the Lynx, but there is something bigger at play as well. The summertime day game gives the Lynx an opportunity to bring in many local youths that might not have an opportunity to attend WNBA games under other circumstances. The significance of that is not lost on Reeve.

“This is one of the most important days of the season for us because of the impact we have on the young girls and boys that are here. Obviously, they’re going to watch everything that we do, how we go about our business, how we treat each other, so we want to make sure we’re understanding that. That’s how we try to be anyway, but it’s a really special day in that regard.”

Exposing kids to the WNBA at a young age is an extremely important part of continuing to grow the game. When kids get a chance to see women playing sports at a high level it can go a long way towards undoing harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about women’s sports as well as encourage young girls to continue playing sports.

“Somebody is going to make eye contact with one of our players and it’s going to change their lives just as it changed our players’ lives,” said Reeve. “They’re going to see something they do in the game, a boy is going to leave here and go ‘Wow, that’s right, women play professional sports and look how good they are.’ These people grow up to be decision-makers and they see things differently, so that’s why I say this is a generation-changing day for our league. Each of the teams that have it, it’s one of the most special days for our league.”

Napheesa The All-Star

Tuesday’s practice was also the first opportunity for the Lynx to address the media since Napheesa Collier was named to the 2019 All-Star team as an injury replacement for A’Ja Wilson.

It’s a well-deserved honor for the young forward and the significance of being an All-Star in her first year in the league was not lost on Collier.

“I was really excited,” she said of receiving the news. “I was just smiling really hard because obviously this is a goal and to reach it my rookie year, I’m just so honored that I get to be in this position.”

Collier has been everywhere for the Lynx this season, giving them a boost on both ends of the court. When asked about Collier’s contributions to the Lynx, Reeve identified a big part of Collier’s identity—she can do it all. That has been especially showcased by the Lynx being without Damiris Dantas for the last few weeks.

“It’s exactly what we’ve said about Phee—whatever you give her she listens, she adjusts, she helps us so much defensively,” she said. “Whether she’s blocking shots, deflecting, shooting the three, bounce and raise-ing, shooting that hard turnaround jumper that she has, that’s another piece that without her ability to be so nimble for us that time without Damiris may have been more difficult.”

For more information about Wednesday’s game against the Mystics, check out our scouting report.