MINNEAPOLIS — The “MVP-MVP-MVP” chants for Napheesa Collier began at 6:30 of the final quarter and rained down on the court for the rest of the fourth quarter. By that point, Collier had already scored 35 of her eventual 42 points, setting a career-high and a franchise record for the second time in four days.

When Collier checked out with less than a minute to go, she extended her hands toward the Target Center crowd, and on cue, everyone rose to their feet and cheered for their MVP.

The Minnesota Lynx’s 101-88 victory over the Phoenix Mercury puts the Lynx in the WNBA semifinals for the first time since the 2020 bubble season, and expectations in Minnesota to bring home a championship title – with their own MVP Collier – are higher than they have been since the 2000s, when the Lynx won four titles in seven seasons.

Minnesota, which has excelled in third quarters this season, used a crucial third period to build an unassailable lead over the Mercury. In addition to Collier’s 42 points, which set the league record for most points in a playoff game, the other four Minnesota starters scored in double figures.

After Game 1, in which coach Cheryl Reeve was unhappy with the Lynx’s defensive performance, the team responded with a more active defense, forcing 15 turnovers and scoring 24 points from them.

The second storyline of the evening was the questions of whether or not this would be Mercury player Diana Taurasi’s final WNBA game. During the final two weeks of the regular season, the Mercury had been tweeting cryptic “if this is it” tweets and the franchise seemed to be dropping hints that these Finals games could indeed be Taurasi’s swan song.

This story will be updated.

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(Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)