Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve could sense it at shootaround Saturday morning. Her team was off. It might be one of those days.
Once again, Target Center's confines were not cozy for the Lynx in a 111-76 loss to the streaking New York Liberty on Saturday night in which Breanna Stewart scored 38 points through three quarters.
Throughout the season the Lynx have been a better team on the road than at home, and that trend continued.
The Liberty (27-7) have won 10 of 11 since losing at home to the Lynx on July 28, which only underlines a trend that has seen the Lynx (17-18) go 10-7 on the road, 7-11 at home. With just five games left in the regular season — two at home — the Lynx are running out of time to figure it out.
"Clearly if I understood what causes us not to play well at home, we would have solved it," Reeve said. "I don't get it. It just is obviously disappointing. I don't have an answer for you."
Three of Minnesota's worst losses this season have come at Target Center. That includes back-to-back losses to Las Vegas and Dallas in July. The Aces scored 113 points in the first game — the most ever allowed in regulation by the Lynx — and Minnesota's 40-point loss three days later was the biggest in franchise history.
On Saturday the Lynx were close to eclipsing both. Minnesota's 11 home losses are the most under Reeve. Her first team here, in 2010, went 7-10 in a shorter season.
What's going on at home?
"We have no idea," said Diamond Miller. Given a lot of run in the one-sided game, she made seven of 12 shots and led Minnesota with 18 points. "If we knew the answer, we'd have fixed it by now. We approach every game the same. I wish I had the answer."
Kayla McBride scored off the opening tip to give the Lynx their only lead. It lasted less than 30 seconds. After that it was all Stewart. She scored 12 straight points in a 14-3 run that had the Liberty off and, well, running. Stewart hit 12 of 17 shots and tied a career high with six threes made. She also had 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. She scored 17 in the first quarter, 10 in the second and 11 in the third.
In the fourth she rested, as did most of the New York starters.
"She's just really talented," said Miller, a big fan of Stewart's; she told the MVP candidate as much on the court at one point. "We could have contested some of her shots better. But some of those shots were hard shots."
New York's 65 first-half points and 37 in the second quarter were the most by a Lynx opponent this season. New York shot 54.4%, made 12 of 17 threes and outscored Minnesota 28-4 on the break. And, with Sabrina Ionescu (19), Betnijah Laney (15) and Courtney Vandersloot (15 points, nine assists) also in double figures, the Liberty got pretty much whatever shot they wanted.
"We didn't guard one-on-one, our low-post defender help was non-existent, our pick-and-roll defense was terrible," Reeve said. "Everything."
Vandersloot reached 4,000 points for her career, joining the retired Sue Bird as the only players with 4,000 points, 2,500 assists and 1,000 rebounds.
Aerial Powers scored 15 points off the bench for the Lynx, nine in the fourth quarter. Napheesa Collier (10 points) and McBride (nine) sat the final 10 minutes.
Now the Lynx have to take what they can from the loss and flush the rest. They play at Washington on Tuesday, facing a Mystics team getting healthy that beat first-place Las Vegas on Saturday.
"You sit down and watch how bad you did, what you can do better," Powers said. "As a team you have to forget about the mistakes. Correct them, but don't hold onto them."
