In the first three series of the WNBA playoffs, the teams trailing 0-1 rebounded with victories.
The Lynx found a way to not make it four.
After looking discombobulated at times during the first half, and trailing 63-49 through three quarters, Minnesota orchestrated a furious fourth quarter comeback to win 75-74 at the SAP Center in San Jose.
They played better in the third, when Bridget Carleton opened the second half with consecutive three-pointers. But Golden State still won the quarter 22-21.
However, that was a hint of what was to come.
The Lynx finally made stops in the final 10 minutes. They finally got open looks. And they buried them.
The veterans stole the show in the fourth quarter as they turned back the expansion Valkyries amid a raucous crowd in San Jose. Kayla McBride scored eight points in the fourth quarter, Napheesa Collier scored six. DiJonai Carrington threw in a pair of three-pointers.
Courtney Williams, who was 2-for-8 from the field and so ineffective that she was on the bench until 2:57 remaining, was golden when she was needed the most. She hit a 16-footer with 29.5 seconds to play, giving the Lynx a 75-72 lead for their final points of the game.
