Sept 14: Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier drives to the basket against the Golden State Valkyries during Game 1 of their first-round series in Minneapolis. The Lynx won 101-72.

Looking to return to the WNBA Finals, the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx should be well-rested as they host the Phoenix Mercury in the opening game of their semifinal series on Sunday.

The Lynx closed out their first-round series in two games while the Mercury need three to advance.

Both teams are led by finalists for league MVP honors. Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier became the second player in WNBA history to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free-throw line in a single season.

Meanwhile, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas is coming off a record fifth career triple-double in the playoffs after tallying 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Liberty. "We aren't ready for this to be over," Thomas said postgame. "We got a special group, we want to keep playing."

End of 3Q: Mercury 59, Lynx 59

Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas elbowed Minnesota's Natisha Hiedeman in the chin while gathering the ball as she charged toward the basket, resulting in a technical foul on Thomas with 36.2 seconds remaining. Lynx guard Kayla McBride hit the technical free throw to tie things up at 59 all.

The Lynx outscored the Mercury 19-12 in the second quarter.

Thomas has a team-high 18 points, six assists and five rebounds, while guard Kahleah Copper has 17 points and two rebounds. Satou Sabally didn't score in the third quarter and remains at eight points.Napheesa Collier has 18 points and eight rebounds for the Lynx. Courtney Williams has 17 points and five steals, while Kayla McBride added 15 points and two assists.

Fever guard Monique Akoa Makani goes down

Fever guard Monique Akoa Makani exited the game with 8:38 remaining in the third quarter after appearing to injure her left knee. The rookie made knee-to-knee contact with Alanna Smith and called for a timeout as she limped before taking a seat on the ground in visible pain. She was seen with a hot pad on her knee on the bench.

Halftime: Mercury 47, Lynx 40

The Mercury went on a 8-0 run to take a nine-point lead with 1:25 left in the half, their largest of the game, before Lynx guard Courtney Williamshit a layup to end the run with 32 seconds remaining.

Phoenix leads Minnesota, 47-40.

The Mercury are 15-0 this season when their Big 3 — forward Alyssa Thomas, forward Satou Sabally and guard Kahleah Copper — score 10 or more points each. Thomas has 16 points, three rebounds and three assists. Copper has 11 points, one assist and one rebound, while Sabally added eight points, three assists and two steals.

Phoenix is 1-of-8 from the 3-point line, but the Mercury have been able to get whatever they want in the paint. Forty-two of the Mercury's 47 points were scored in the lane, a WNBA playoff record for any half.

Lynx guard Kayla McBride started to heat up in the second quarter. McBride knocked down two 3-pointers in the second quarter, including a deep 26-footer. She’s up to a team-high 12 points. Williams scored 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steal, while Napheesa Collier has 10 points, three rebounds and two assists.

End of Q1: Mercury 24, Lynx 22

The Mercury have a two-point lead over the Lynx following a back-and-forth first quarter that featured eight lead changes and seven ties.

All five of the Mercury's starters have scored, led by eight points and three rebounds from Alyssa Thomas. Satou Sabally added six points and one assist. Twenty-two of the Fever's 24 first-quarter points were scored in the paint, but the Mercury are still looking to get going from beyond the arc after starting 0-of-3 from the 3-point line. (The Lynx have fared slight better and shot 2-of-9 from 3.)

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier leads all scorers with 10 points, three rebounds and one assist. Kayla McBride added six points and one assist.

What time is Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx?

The Minnesota Lynx host the Phoenix Mercury in the opening game of their WNBA playoff semifinal series at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

How to watch Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx: TV, stream

  • Time: 5 p.m. ET
  • Location: Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscriber

Phoenix Mercury starting lineup

Head coach: Nate Tibbetts

25 Alyssa Thomas | F 6' 2" - Maryland

0 Satou Sabally | F 6' 4" - Oregon

2 Kahleah Copper | G 6' 1" - Rutgers

4 Natasha Mack | C 6' 4" - Oklahoma State

8 Monique Akoa Makani | G 5' 11" - Cameroon

Minnesota Lynx starting lineup

Head coach: Cheryl Reeve

24 Napheesa Collier | F 6' 1" - UConn

6 Bridget Carleton | F 6' 2" - Iowa State

8 Alanna Smith | F 6' 4" - Stanford

10 Courtney Williams | G 5' 8" - South Florida

21 Kayla McBride | G 5' 11" - Notre Dame

Mercury arrivals

Alyssa Thomas in stripes.

Lynx arrivals

Napheesa Collier serving in Jordan

StudBudz salute

Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury: WNBA playoffs schedule

All times Eastern

  • Game 1: Mercury at Lynx — Sunday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo
  • Game 2: Mercury at Lynx — Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo
  • Game 3: Lynx at Mercury — Friday, Sept. 26, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2, Fubo
  • Game 4: Lynx at Mercury — Sunday, Sept. 28, Time TBD | Broadcast details TBD (if necessary)
  • Game 5: Mercury at Lynx — Tuesday, Sept. 30, Time TBD | Broadcast details TBD (if necessary)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx: Game 1 score, highlights

Reporting by Steve Gardner and Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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