Because of the makeup of the team—with a starting lineup full of players who are both willing and able to make three-point shots, but also have relatively below-average size—the Lynx will not be a dominant rebounding team this year.
But as coach Cheryl Reeve said, they can improve. Or, perhaps more emphatically, they should improve.
“We just can’t finish last in the league in rebounding percentage,” Reeve said. “That’s not necessarily why we lost the game in Dallas, but we can’t walk out of an arena having allowed the other team eight more possessions than us.”
On Thursday in Dallas, the Wings snapped an 11-game losing streak — and ended the Lynx’s six-game winning streak — by scoring 48 of their 94 points in the basket. The Wings grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.
That last stat is a little misleading. The Lynx actually won the second chance battle 12-9. Over the course of the season, the Lynx defense, despite often struggling to rebound defensively, has virtually evened the second chance battle this year with a 13-4 start.
But Reeve believes things have to get better. If the Lynx can move into the middle of the pack in rebounding, that — combined with the team’s third-best offensive rating — would make the team even harder to beat.
And it has become an emphasis.
“We have to change some of the muscle memory,” Reeve said. “We’re going back to the old school.”
This means we need to work on blocking and emphasize it. The team practiced hard on it on Saturday before flying to Chicago.
Good timing. Because the Sky, despite going just 6-10 this season and having freshmen Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso play a lot, are built to play inside. The Sky are first in offensive rebounds per game (11.2), points in the box (41.9) and second chance points (11.5), which makes up for a three-point attack that ranks last in the league.
For many Lynx fans, this will be the first look at Reese.
Reese was drafted by the Sky with the seventh pick in the WNBA Draft, the position the Lynx gave up. The Lynx traded picks with Chicago and received the eighth overall pick, which they used to take Alissa Pili. The Lynx also received the Sky’s second-round pick next year, a developmental big in Sika Koné and the right to trade first-round draft picks in 2026.
Many have wondered why the Lynx didn’t just go ahead and take Reese at No. 7. Understandable, considering Reese is one of only four WNBA players currently averaging a double-double. She’s second only to Caitlin Clark in rookie scoring (13.5) and second in the league in rebounding (11.1).
Ask Reeve, and she’ll tell you the Lynx were confident that Reese’s skills – defense and rebounding – from her time at Louisiana State would translate to the WNBA.
But maybe in the end this swap will turn out to be beneficial for both teams.
The Lynx have revamped their offense, going from a mediocre three-point team last year to the best from beyond the arc this year. They signed Alanna Smith, who is relatively small at 6’4″ as a center but is a true stretch 5, meaning she can shoot from outside. Bridget Carleton is shooting and hitting more threes. It’s unclear if Reese, who has attempted just three three-pointers all season, would have fit into that offense.
And with Collier, Smith and Dorka Juhász in the mix, none of the new big players would have been in the starting lineup under Reeve. In Chicago, a team in rebuilding, Reese has started every game.
On the other hand, the Lynx got Pili, who they believe will develop into a strong player; Koné, a player with great potential; and perhaps some draft capital.
The fact that this is all a point of discussion only indicates the growing popularity of the league.
But for Sunday, Reeve wants her team to block better and allow fewer rebounds on defense. She wants to return to perimeter defense, which limits dribbling.
“I think we can make a difference with the group we have,” Reeve said.
