This Lynx team was desperate for the FIBA break for a multitude of reasons.
For starters, it gave some much-needed rest to the players who have logged a ton of minutes this season while missing very little action. At the same time, it created opportunities for players deeper on the bench to get meaningful minutes with their respective countries during this year’s World Cup.
The first-place Minnesota Lynx have looked nearly unstoppable at certain points throughout the season, but I also think some holes in the armor have started to show over the last couple of months.
Some of that could simply be the fatigue that comes with a long season. Still, I think there should be at least a little anxiety about how things looked heading into the FIBA break.
WARNING: I’m going to be somewhat critical in this Coaching Up!
As a coach, I’m always focused on what can improve. This isn’t meant to be a dig at anyone. It’s an analysis of what has gone wrong at times — and why you might feel like things, particularly on the defensive end, have looked a little different than they did at the beginning of the season.
I still think the Lynx can win it all this year, and I love just about every aspect of this team.
BUT...
The entire point of this exercise is to analyze what is happening schematically on the court from a coaching perspective.
So my goal with this article is to figure out why Cheryl has been so grumpy about the defense at various points over the last couple of months — and, more importantly, help explain what she might be seeing when she watches the film.
If you’re unfamiliar with my previous “Coaching Up” episodes on YouTube — shoutout to Sideline Vibes — I use my experience as a basketball coach to break down what we’re seeing on the court while providing some perspective on the coaching decisions, schemes, and philosophies behind it all.
I’m also going to reference several concepts from my first-quarter article as we get into the X’s and O’s. I’d recommend reading that first if you want a refresher on the schemes and terminology we’ll be discussing here.
So, with that out of the way...
Let’s dive into the third quarter of the season.
Standings:
Record since All Star Break: 9-3
Best Wins:
Fever
Aces (x2)
Good Losses:
Valk's (Gives us intel)
Dream (Gives us intel)
Tough Losses:
Sparks (Bad energy and vibes)
9-3 is not a horrible result for a stretch, but the process was a little shaky compared to earlier in the year (we will get to this). The losses the Lynx had for the most part gave us good intel- what are teams going to try to do to slow this offense down and break down the defense? Those two losses gave us a good idea of just that.
On both sides of the ball, teams seemed to have figured out ways to be somewhat successful against this Lynx team. The great part about that is this FIBA break would give the coaches and players an opportunity to really study what teams are trying to do to them. Let’s dive in further:
Defense
Let's start on the defensive side as there has been some interesting developments lately:
Interesting Stats:
The Lynx have struggled maintaining their shell defense that had them as the clear number one defense in the early part of the season. It is a combination of things which will be discussed below as reasons for this.
What is hurting the Lynx in my opinion:
Poor closeout -> Straight-line drive -> Restricted-area penetration -> Low defender/big forced to help -> Layup / foul OR kickout - > Second closeout -> Another drive or open three
It all starts with poor closeouts or overhelping
Stats to back this up:
Opponent Points in the Paint: 35.6 pg (3rd best - meaning we actually limit points in the paint at elite level)
Opponent Assist/Field Goal Made: 68.9% (13th)
Opponent Assist/Possession: .247 (10th)
Opponent 3pt Rate: 40.7% (Worst in WNBA)
This all means to me that we limit points in the paint, but we are having to collapse to do so, which has led to kick out shots or drives that lead to success at a bottom five rate.
How Teams Are Attacking The Lynx:
Side to Side (quick swings then punch the gaps)
Teams have been focused on swinging the ball quickly and attacking closeout knowing Lynx off ball defenders job is to be hard in the gap (almost a foot in the lane)
They also look to set pin screens (screens to keep help defenders backside from closing out - last example below)
This quickly stretches out the shell of the defense to make it easier to penetrate
This can also lead to easier and uncontested 3pt shots
Quick swing combined with pin screen puts the on ball defender in tough spot (since Lynx want to pack the paint backside. Miles needs to jump to the ball better and be in paint sooner for help in this last example.
Post Entries
Teams see our lack of size and have now understood that if they can get a post entry, they can get a decent look one on one with size mismatch, or a double is coming so they can kick out and attack advantage from there (2nd clip is kind of an example of this but not traditional post up)
Possible Adjustments:
You don't want to throw out your entire scheme because a team has figured out ways to attack it. As a coach, you just want to make tweaks to slow that down. There is going to be weaknesses in every defense- it's about deciding what you want to live with and doing your best to limit wide open shots.
I feel like the Lynx have to focus on two things for the rest of the year on the defensive end: No overhelping and backside help
To not overhelping (1st example below) would be retreating back to your matchup once the primary defender doesn't require help in the gap. This makes the quick swing an easier closeout thus forcing either a contested 3 or contained drive.
Backside help (2nd example below) is from baseline drives typically where the bottom defender comes over and meets the drive because there is no gap help.
The goal is to force a high amount of contested 3pt shots- teams are having to take less of those in the last couple months. Too many paint touches.
Conclusion:
Overall, the defense needs to be a little more detailed and physical if they want to play this style of defense. It requires cohesiveness- if one person overhelps or doesn’t keep their assignment in front of them and allows a paint touch, the whole defense is compromised. Need to be on a string- we have seen that earlier in the year with this group. Just have to get back to it!
Offense
What Teams are Doing to “Try” to Slow Down The Lynx:
Teams seem to be trying anything to throw off the flow of this top 3 offense- and some of the plans had worked decently to at least make it a little more challenging for this juggernaut.
Teams are looking to try to not let the pick and roll dictate what happens on the possession. So if a team is able to, they look to switch or play zone. Both these have slowed down the Lynx at different times- zone more than switching since Phee has returned.
Golden State zone with their length threw off the Lynx flow in the most recent game: This takes away what the Lynx do best which is using flowing actions to penetrate the defense. If you can't break that shell because of a zone, it turns your offense into side to side.
What Can The Lynx do Against Zone in Future:
There are a ton of counters to zones but I think one that they are kind of putting in their back pocket for potential playoff use is putting Phee at the nail (high post by free throw line) so she can score and facilitate from the middle out.
If Phee is not in, I would love to see Miles put in that same spot to do similar thing
What Lynx are Doing Well:
They are finding ways to put their players in their best places to succeed:
Having Miles initiate the offense with her dynamic playmaking abilities
Find ways to get Phee the ball in places where she is elite
Having McBride come off screens to put stress on the defense and find ways to get her open 3pt looks
Letting Courtney do her thing in iso, transition, and in the pick and roll as a mid range assassin
Finding ways to get Howard the ball in the paint off of advantages in the pick and roll
They have done more high ball screen actions than side to side along with looking to get Phee low post touches since she has back
Interesting Stats
Phee is 1.533 points per possession in pick and roll including passes (This provides many options to counter any coverage thrown at them)
Best Actions:
Miles/Phee Two-player Game
This is incredibly hard to guard- Olivia is already one of the best decision makers in the WNBA. Stats to back that up:
Phee Flex Action
This has been a break glass in case of emergency type of action for Cheryl and this Lynx team the last couple of years. Phee is so efficient in this spot because of her length, ability to shoot over defenders, and most importantly, her footwork. I'm a footwork snob and she has some of the best footwork I've seen in both WNBA and NBA.
Overall, it is hard to nitpick this offense too much this year. Just some things that I feel like will be ironed out before playoffs by Cheryl and the staff- but the key for this group will be to stay connected and work together reading what the defense is throwing at them because they have ALL the answers.
Vibes: Regroup
The expectations are sky-high for this group: finish the job and bring home a championship.
As we’ve talked about all season, this team feels like Cheryl’s dream team reincarnated. And honestly, the timing of this FIBA break couldn’t have been better for Minnesota.
A chance to step away. Reset. Breathe.
Now it’s time to regroup, refocus, and recharge for the stretch run.
The goal is simple: title No. 5.
