Minnesota Lynx vs Connecticut Sun player stats and box scores for Oct. 4 | Game 3 WNBA playoffs

Game 3 of the Minnesota Lynx vs Connecticut Sun semifinal series was expected to be a close duel, but the visitors made a statement from the get-go, dominating the game from start to finish to come out victorious of Mohegan Sun Arena.

Napheesa Collier was inspired tonight, dropping 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing three assists. Courtney Williams contributed 16 points and Kayla McBride added 13. Brionna Jones was the best scorer for the Sun, responding with 21 units while DeWanna Bonner added 16 and Marina Mabrey 14.

The shots weren't falling for the Sun, who made only three of 20 3-pointers (15%) and shot 41.1% from the field. The Lynx shot 57.4% from the floor and 33.3% from deep.

Minnesota Lynx vs Connecticut Sun box scores and player stats

Minnesota Lynx box score and player stats

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
Bridget Carleton	12	6	0	0	2	0
Alanna Smith	7	3	1	0	3	3
Napheesa Collier	26	11	3	2	1	1
Kayla McBride	13	1	5	1	0	0
Courtney Williams	16	1	8	0	1	3
Myisha Hines-Allen	2	4	3	0	0	1
Cecilia Zandalasini	5	1	0	0	0	1
Dorka Juhazs	5	2	2	0	0	0
Natisha Hiedeman	4	0	0	1	0	1

Connecticut Sun box score and player stats

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
DeWanna Bonner	16	8	1	1	0	0
Alyssa Thomas	13	9	7	0	0	4
Brionna Jones	21	4	5	0	0	2
Marina Mabrey	14	5	4	0	1	1
DiJonai Carrington	13	5	2	2	0	1
Tyasha Harris	0	0	0	0	0	1
Veronica Burton	4	0	2	0	0	1

Minnesota Lynx vs Connecticut Sun recap

The third Minnesota Lynx vs Connecticut Sun duel featured two teams trying to take the 2-1 lead after they won a game apiece at Target Center. While the Sun were expected to capitalize on home-court advantage, the Lynx had a strong start and took a 23-16 lead in the first quarter.

DiJonai Carrington responded for the Sun with six points, while Marina Mabrey contributed four. After stealing Game 1, the Sun tried to defend their home against a dangerous opponent. Collier confirmed her dominance in the second quarter, scoring against Carrington and Mabrey, responding when her team struggled to find the way to the basket.

She added eight more points to finish the second period with 16 while Kayla McBride finished the first half with eight, the same as Courtney Williams. The Lynx extended their lead one point while Carrington and Jones (both with nine points) couldn't keep up with the 2024 MVP runner-up.

The Sun made adjustments in the third quarter, but it wasn't enough to get closer to the Lynx. The visitors won this period 20-18 to enter the fourth quarter with a 14-point advantage. Napheesa Collier only scored two points while Courtney Williams added five.

The Sun's starters except for DiJonai Carrington reached double-digits in the third quarter, but their attempts were useless against the intense Lynx. Despite winning the fourth quarter 27-20, the Sun couldn't sniff the game. Whenever they tried to get close, the Lynx made one or two plays to shut down their momentum.

Before fouling out, Alanna Smith drained a 3-pointer for the 86-73 lead that put the Sun's hopes to rest. They added seven more points but the Lynx did the work in the first three quarters to get the 2-1 lead and recover the home-court advantage.