2020 Minnesota Lynx season explained

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

WNBA draft

See also: 2020 WNBA draft.

RoundPickPlayerNationalitySchool/Team/Country
16Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
South Carolina
216Crystal DangerfieldConnecticut

Trades/Roster Changes

DateDetails
February 11, 2020F Rebekkah Brunson retired and was hired as an assistant coach of the Lynx.[6]
February 25, 2020Acquired G Rachel Banham from the Connecticut Sun in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2021 WNBA draft.[7]
February 29, 2020Signed F Cecilia Zandalasini[8]
March 6, 2020Traded 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, 2020Traded F Stephanie Talbot to New York in exchange for the draft rights for G Erica Ogwumike.[10]
May 25, 2020Waived G Linnae Harper and G Erica Ogwumike[11]
May 31, 2020Moved G Odyssey Sims to an Inactive List and suspended F Jessica Shepard[12]
June 17, 2020F Cecilia Zandalasini announces she will be opting out of the season due to COVID-19 and signed F Megan Huff[13] [14]
July 30, 2020Waived F Karima Christmas-Kelly and signed F Erica McCall[15]
August 6, 2020Activated G Odyssey Sims and waived F Megan Huff[16]

Game log

Regular season

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 1| July 26| Connecticut Sun| W 77–69| Sylvia Fowles (17)| Sylvia Fowles (18)| Damiris Dantas (5)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 1–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 2| July 28| Seattle Storm| L 66–90| Damiris Dantas (18)| Sylvia Fowles (11)| Napheesa Collier (5)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 1–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 3| July 30| Chicago Sky| W 83–81| Napheesa Collier (20)| Napheesa Collier (10)| Collier, Johnson (4)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 2–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 4| August 1| Connecticut Sun| W 78-69| Sylvia Fowles (21)| Sylvia Fowles (13)| Napheesa Collier (4)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 3–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 5| August 5| New York Liberty| W 92–66| Bridget Carleton (25)| Carleton, Collier (7)| Rachel Banham (5)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 4–1|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 6| August 7| Indiana Fever| W 87–80| Lexie Brown (26)| Brown, Fowles (6)| Lexie Brown (9)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 5-1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 7| August 9| Los Angeles Sparks| L 81-97| Crystal Dangerfield (29)| Damiris Dantas (7)| Lexie Brown (6)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 5–2|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 8| August 11| Washington Mystics| W 68–48| Sylvia Fowles (16)| Sylvia Fowles (13)| Crystal Dangerfield (4)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 6–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 9| August 13| Las Vegas Aces| L 77–87| Napheesa Collier (21)| Napheesa Collier (14)| Damiris Dantas (7)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 6–3|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 10| August 15| New York Liberty| W 94-64| Napheesa Collier (26)| Napheesa Collier (13)| Collier, Sims (5)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 7–3|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 11| August 19| Dallas Wings| W 91-84| Crystal Dangerfield (21)| Bridget Carleton (9)| Crystal Dangerfield (6)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 8–3|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 12| August 21| Phoenix Mercury| W 90-80| Napheesa Collier (20)| Napheesa Collier (9)| Collier, Carleton (6)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 9–3|- style="background:#fcc;"| 13| August 23| Atlanta Dream| L 75–78| Napheesa Collier (18)| Damiris Dantas (9)| Carleton, Dantas, Dangerfield (3)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 9–4|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 14| August 28| Atlanta Dream| W 88–79| Crystal Dangerfield (23)| Napheesa Collier (12)| Odyssey Sims (9)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 10–4|- style="background:#fcc;"| 15| August 30| Phoenix Mercury| L 79–83| Crystal Dangerfield (20)| Napheesa Collier (6)| Odyssey Sims (5)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 10–5|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 16| August 31| Los Angeles Sparks| W 96–78| Napheesa Collier (25)| Collier, Dantas (9)| Bridget Carleton (10)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 11–5|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 17| September 2| Chicago Sky| W 86–83| Damiris Dantas (28)| Napheesa Collier (9)| Crystal Dangerfield (7)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 12–5|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 18| September 4| Dallas Wings| W 88–75| Damiris Dantas (18)| Napheesa Collier (14)| Crystal Dangerfield (5)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 13–5|- style="background:#fcc;"| 19| September 6| Seattle Storm| L 88–103| Damiris Dantas (22)| Damiris Dantas (9)| Odyssey Sims (4)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 13–6|- style="background:#fcc;"| 20| September 8| Washington Mystics| L 86–89| Napheesa Collier (21)| Napheesa Collier (11)| Crystal Dangerfield (7)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 13–7|- style="background:#fcc;"| 21| September 10| Las Vegas Aces| L 89–104| Crystal Dangerfield (24)| Napheesa Collier (11)| Napheesa Collier (10)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 13-8|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 22| September 12| Indiana Fever| W 98–86| Rachel Banham (29)| Napheesa Collier (8)| Rachel Banham (10)| IMG Academy
No In-Person Attendance| 14–8

Playoffs

|- style="background:#bbffbb;"| 1| September 17| Phoenix Mercury| W 80–79| Damiris Dantas (22)| Napheesa Collier (9)| Napheesa Collier (6)| IMG Academy| 1–0|- style="background:#fcc;"| 1| September 22| Seattle Storm| L 86–88| Napheesa Collier (25)| Napheesa Collier (9)| Crystal Dangerfield (6)| IMG Academy| 0–1|- style="background:#fcc;"| 2| September 24| Seattle Storm| L 79–89| Damiris Dantas (23)| Carleton, Dantas (7)| Crystal Dangerfield (7)| IMG Academy| 0–2|- style="background:#fcc;"| 3| September 27| Seattle Storm| L 71–92| Napheesa Collier (22)| Napheesa Collier (15)| Dantas & Sims (4)| IMG Academy| 0–3

Playoffs

See main article: 2020 WNBA Playoffs.

Statistics

Regular season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
Crystal Dangerfield211930.047.133.392.22.03.60.90.016.2
Napheesa Collier222234.252.340.882.99.03.31.81.316.1
Sylvia Fowles7724.160.9082.89.70.90.91.114.6
Damiris Dantas222226.646.44..672.76.12.61.10.212.9
Odyssey Sims13718.540.433.390.92.03.50.50.16.9
Rachel Banham20117.046.247.280.01.32.40.50.16.9
Bridget Carleton221525.852.045.764.33.52.50.706.6
Lexie Brown171322.034.226.979.21.92.41.806.4
Shenise Johnson17412.534.135.389.31.91.20.90.15.1
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan21011.136.642.471.42.30.30.40.43.8
Erica McCall1909.435.625.081.82.50.20.30.42.7
Kayla Alexander1605.653.3062.50.90.20.10.22.3

Awards and Milestones

RecipientAward/MilestoneDate AwardedReference
Napheesa CollierWestern Conference Player of the WeekAugust 17, 2020[17]
2nd Team All-DefenseSeptember 29, 2020[18]
All-WNBA Second TeamOctober 4, 2020[19]
Crystal DangerfieldWNBA Rookie of the Month – AugustSeptember 1, 2020[20]
WNBA Rookie of the Month – SeptemberSeptember 15, 2020[21]
Rookie of the YearSeptember 17, 2020[22]
All-Rookie TeamSeptember 27, 2020[23]
Cheryl ReeveCoach of the YearSeptember 17, 2020[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 Minnesota Lynx Schedule. sparks.wnba.com. WNBA. February 14, 2020.
  2. Web site: Atlanta Dream Announce 2020 Schedule - Atlanta Dream. dream.wnba.com. February 1, 2020.
  3. News: 2020-04-03. WNBA Statement Regarding the Start of the 2020 Regular Season. 2020-04-03.
  4. Web site: 2020-06-15. WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 Season. 2020-06-17. WNBA. en-US.
  5. Web site: 2020-06-15. WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to start late July in Florida. 2020-06-15. NBC Sports Washington.
  6. Web site: Brunson's Retirement Launches Next Chapter Of Her Lynx Career. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. February 11, 2020. February 14, 2020.
  7. Web site: Minnesota Lynx Acquire Rachel Banham. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. February 25, 2020. February 25, 2020.
  8. Web site: Lynx Re-Sign Forward Cecilia Zandalasini. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. February 29, 2020.
  9. Web site: Minnesota Lynx Acquire Shenise Johnson from Indiana. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. March 6, 2020. March 10, 2020.
  10. Web site: Get To Know Erica Ogwumike. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. April 17, 2020. April 19, 2020.
  11. Web site: Minnesota Lynx Waive Linnae Harper and Erica Ogwumike. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. May 25, 2020. May 25, 2020.
  12. Web site: Lynx finalize roster; Shepard, Sims not among initial 12. startribune.com. Star Tribune. May 31, 2020. May 31, 2020.
  13. Web site: Lynx's Cecilia Zandalasini skipping 2020 WNBA season. startribune.com. Star Tribune. June 17, 2020. June 17, 2020.
  14. Web site: Lynx Sign Forward Megan Huff. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. June 17, 2020. June 17, 2020.
  15. Web site: Lynx Awarded Erica McCall From Waivers. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. July 30, 2020. July 30, 2020.
  16. Web site: Lynx Activate Odyssey Sims. lynx.wnba.com. WNBA. August 6, 2020. August 6, 2020.
  17. Web site: Bonner, Collier Earn Players Of The Week Honors For Week 3. wnba.com. WNBA. August 17, 2020. August 17, 2020.
  18. Web site: Two Atlanta Dream Players And Seattle Storm's Alysha Clark Headline 2020 WNBA All-Defensive Team. wnba.com. WNBA. September 29, 2020. September 29, 2020.
  19. Web site: A'ja Wilson And Candace Parker Unanimously Selected To 2020 All-WNBA First Team. wnba.com. WNBA. October 4, 2020. October 5, 2020.
  20. Web site: Crystal Dangerfield Earns Rookie of the Month Honors. wnba.com. WNBA. September 1, 2020. September 1, 2020.
  21. Web site: Crystal Dangerfield Earns Rookie of the Month. wnba.com. WNBA. September 15, 2020. September 17, 2020.
  22. Web site: Crystal Dangerfield Named WNBA Rookie Of The Year. wnba.com. WNBA. September 17, 2020. September 18, 2020.
  23. Web site: Rookie Of The Year Crystal Dangerfield Headlines 2020 WNBA All-Rookie Team. wnba.com. WNBA. September 29, 2019. September 27, 2019.
  24. Web site: Cheryl Reeve Named WNBA Coach Of The Year. wnba.com. WNBA. September 17, 2020. September 18, 2020.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2020 Minnesota Lynx season".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.