Minnesota Lynx raise curtain on Act 2 of 2025 season

“I was really happy,” Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said after Monday’s practice when asked if she was pleased with the group’s energy after some time away. “The ones that got the break, you know, [Alanna Smith] was in Zion National Park, getting some zen, touching some gems, and she looked like it. They all seemed like they had a good break … they were a little more rested than those of us that were in Indy, and we’ll need them [laughter].” 

From the StudBudz to Napheesa Collier leading her Team Collier to victory and taking home All-Star Game MVP honors, the Minnesota Lynx were all over All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Though nothing at All-Star Weekend translates into stacking wins in the standings, which is something the Lynx have been eager to get back to doing after the brief hiatus.

“I thought it was good, everyone seemed really locked in,” Collier told reporters after practice when asked how everyone was adjusting to life after the All-Star break. “I think everyone was excited to get back to playing with the Lynx. All-Star, of course, is really fun, but it’s really chaotic too. It’s nice to get back to our team, get back to business, take that mental break. We still have a whole half of the season left, so I think everyone is really excited about that.” 

“The energy is immaculate,” Collier’s teammate Williams said post-practice. “Obviously, you’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing. So, we back in it, we back locked in, so we got to continue doing what we doing.” 

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Keeping the main thing the main thing has been the guiding mantra for this season of Lynx basketball — the ‘main thing,’ of course, being a championship. This mantra focus has helped Minnesota accumulate the league’s best record, both at home and on the road, and the best ratings of offensive, defensive, and net varieties.

And getting back to business coming out of a break is something this rendition of the Lynx have been pretty good at. They stormed out of the gates after last season’s Olympic break and posted the best record in the league over the final 15 games of the season (13-2). No matter how fun or grand of an event the league breaks for, the Lynx return to action with the enthusiasm of a group of best friends reuniting on the first day of school after summer vacation. 

“For sure, like I miss the rest of the girlies,” Natisha Hiedeman said after shoot-around on Tuesday. “When we’re here in this space, we all just get along and vibe so well. Although, we was having a lot of fun at All-Star, our main goal is the second half of the season. We know that this [game] is super important, and this is where our push is going to happen. So, just super excited to get back to work and get in the gym, and back to regularly scheduled programming.”

Perhaps no programming has been more regular in the 2025 season than games between the Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky in the month of July. The official curtain riser for act two of the 2025 season for the Lynx was Tuesday night’s game against the Sky in Minneapolis. The game marked the fourth competition between the teams in the last 17 days. 

“I’m not going to say we played our best basketball in [Monday’s] practice, but I thought our approach was really good,” Reeve said during Tuesday’s pregame press conference. “It’s like Groundhog’s Day. Wake up, we’re playing Chicago. Sixth time here since preseason. I think we know what we’ve got to do. I don’t know what else we can tell them. We know we have to play well to win. If we don’t play well we’re not going to win.” 

It took the Lynx a few minutes to shake the cobwebs off and get back into the rhythm they showed pre-All-Star break — specifically 10 minutes, as they trailed the Sky 24-18 after the first quarter. Collier attempted just two shots in the opening quarter, both coming from behind the arc and both rimmed out. 

“I remember complaining to her, you know your best player’s got to be your best player,” Reeve recalled during the postgame on her conversation with her star player after the first quarter. “The best player’s got to score. I think she recognized it. She regulates herself well, she gets it.”

It didn’t take long for Collier and the Lynx to course-correct. The All-Star MVP shot 8-of-14 the rest of the way and the Lynx defense held Chicago to just 44 points over the ensuing three quarters of basketball. 

“[Coach] just said I need to be more aggressive when I get to the paint,” Collier said after the game. “I guess she thought I was passing it out too much when I got in there and she said to be aggressive.” 

The aggression wasn’t limited to Collier’s offensive performance. Minnesota overwhelmed the Sky and forced 23 turnovers. The outstretched arms of Lynx defenders routinely found Chicago’s hopeful passes and shot attempts, coming away with nine steals and eight blocked shots. 

Add it all up and it’s a 91-68 win for Minnesota. It’s just one win in the standings, but another step towards the ultimate goal. Another night at Target Center where the Lynx made the main thing the main thing. 

“Coming off the All-Star Game and having those three, I thought [Kayla McBride] played great, getting that win in the fourth time in six games playing the same opponent, I was overall happy,” Reeve said postgame. “To come home, get the win, and now get a day off, then a day of work, and then obviously face a really good team coming up.” 

The Lynx home stand continues on Friday against the Las Vegas Aces, who are currently on a three-game winning streak. Hiedeman’s status for that game, after leaving Tuesday’s game with an ankle injury, is uncertain.

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