Their backs against the wall, the Minnesota Lynx showed the heart of a team wanting a championship.

From left to right, Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard, Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack and Lynx forward Alanna Smith battle for the ball during the first half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Samantha Chow)

But a team that led the standings from the outset and finished with a league-record 34 regular-season wins will not get a chance to compete for the WNBA’s ultimate prize.

The short-handed Lynx were again dominated in the fourth quarter and fell 86-81 to Phoenix in Game 4 of a best-of-five semifinal series. The host Mercury won the final three games, the only time all season Minnesota lost three in a row.

Kayla McBride had a postseason career-high 31 points, including six 3-pointers, and Courtney Williams added 17.

Minnesota played without Napheesa Collier, who was on the bench in a walking boot after injuring her ankle in Game 3 in a late collision with Alyssa Thomas. Minnesota was 7-5 without Collier this season.

DiJonai Carrington #3 and Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx watch warmups before Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on Sept. 28, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

As the players collided, Thomas made a steal, Collier’s ankle turned in an ugly way and Thomas scored alone on a layup.

It ultimately led to coach Cheryl Reeve being suspended by the league for Game 4 for “conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner upon her ejection with 21.8 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, inappropriate comments made to fans when exiting the court, and remarks made in a postgame press conference.”

Minnesota led by 13 going into the final 10 minutes but was outscored 31-13 in the fateful fourth quarter. In the series, Phoenix outscored Minnesota 87-43 in the final frame and overtime.

Down by three, Alyssa Thomas took advantage of a sleeping defense for a driving layup and an 81-76 Phoenix lead with 27 seconds left. The Mercury were 10 of 12 from the field in the fourth quarter.

Treys by the StudBudz — Williams and Natisha Hiedeman — got the Lynx within 84-81 with 5.2 seconds left, but Minnesota got no closer.

McBride made all four of her 3-pointers in the third quarter — Lynx were 6 of 7 as a team — as part of the 30-point frame and a 68-55 Lynx led with 10 minutes to play. It’s the highest-scoring quarter of the series for Minnesota.

Then came the fourth quarter.

A layup by Thomas, a short jumper from Sami Whitcomb and a DeWanna Bonner trey quickly dropped the cushion to a six-point lead. When Whitcomb drained a three-pointer midway through the frame, the Mercury were within one.

Minnesota, 3 of 16 in the final frame of Friday’s Game 3, missed nine of its first 10 shots in the fourth and finished 5 of 18.

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