WNBA insider sees Minnesota Lynx needing to adjust in 3 key areas after Commissioner's Cup championship loss

The Minnesota Lynx, nearly undefeated this season, fell to the Indiana Fever in the Commissioner's Cup final on Tuesday night. The Fever, missing star Caitlin Clark, claimed victory and a $500,000 prize. Minnesota, led by Napheesa Collier and holding a 14-2 record, sits atop the WNBA standings.

On Wednesday, The Athletic's WNBA insider Chantel Jennings broke down the Commissioner's Cup final, listing out three key areas of improvement for the Lynx.

Jennings blamed the loss more on Lynx's mistakes than the Fever's brilliance. There is no doubt that Indiana played well, even without their star guard, but it was evident that Minnesota was not playing its usual game.

"Games like Tuesday’s indicate that when the Lynx don’t show up as themselves, when that chemistry isn’t leading the team, what becomes repeatable are the losses," Jennings wrote on The Athletic. "And that’s a thread Minnesota wants to avoid."

First, the insider pointed at the lack of defensive identity in the Lynx squad. She recalled the team's first loss of the season against the Seattle Storm (94-84) on Jun. 12 to give a reference to Minnesota's poor performance.

Next, Jennings pointed at the team's dependency on Napheesa Collier and criticized the squad for not stepping up when their star player is having a bad night. Lastly, she criticized the team's lack of offensive identity after the first 10 minutes of the game.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve shares reason for 74-59 loss against Indiana Fever

After the loss, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve addressed reporters in a postgame news conference. When asked about the defeat, Reeve offered a brief analysis.

"We have a tendency to sometimes get impatient, and I didn't think our commitment to moving the basketball and creating advantages, we had a hard time getting it done," Reeve said (Timestamp: 0:20).

"We had some easy shots that didn't fall as did they particularly early in the game. Then they got their rhythm going and we lost ours. We had 27 points and then we had seven in the second quarter. That's tough."

Reeve praised the Fever for securing the win and beating them to spots. Lastly, she highlighted that her team lacked their usual fortitude and physicality in the game, which contributed to the loss.