Courtney Williams scored 17 points and Alanna Smith had 15 points to help the Minnesota Lynx overturn a poor night for star Napheesa Collier and beat the Connecticut Sun 77-70 on Tuesday to clinch the best-of-five semifinal series the WNBA in one game each.

Collier, who scored 80 points in a two-game win over Phoenix in the first round, was held to nine points on 3-for-14 shooting. She led the Lynx with 12 rebounds and five assists and was pleased with her supporting squad leading the attack past a feisty opponent.

Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Sun, which shot just 5-for-20 from 3-point range. DeWanna Bonner scored 17 points and Marina Mabrey added 15 points on 4-for-14 shooting after going 7 for 19 and 20 points in the opener.

Full screen slideshowPrevious slide

4 from 4

1 from 4

2 from 4

Next slide

Connecticut will host Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Then Game 5, if necessary, would take place on October 8th in Minnesota.

The Lynx have never lost consecutive home games this season, compiling a 30-10 record for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, and their 73-70 loss in Game 1 clearly sparked a fierce follow-up in this persistently physical matchup At times it looked more like football than basketball.

Myisha Hines-Allen hit an off-balance shot from the corner to beat the halftime buzzer, giving the Lynx a 36-30 lead and extra energy heading into the break.

Smith, the shot-blocking specialist playing on her fourth team in four seasons, revived her career in Minnesota under coach Cheryl Reeve two years after being fired by Indiana. Early in the third quarter, she hit a 3-pointer for a 41-30 lead that triggered a Connecticut timeout.

Full screen slideshowPrevious slide

4 from 4

1 from 4

2 from 4

Next slide

Williams had scored 11 points in the third half, half her team’s output, which helped direct second-half frustration more heavily toward the Sun after the Lynx had been nervous moments earlier. Williams and Mabrey scolded back and forth at one point.

The two best defensive teams of the regular season – the Suns allowed an average of 73.6 points per game, the Lynx 75.6 – were on full display in a first quarter meat grinder in which the first 14 shots missed and each side had two turnovers on display in less than four minutes.

Collier saw constant double teams and started 1-for-6. The Sun did their best to not only deny the four-time All-Star her favorite spots on the floor, but also get under her skin. Mabrey used a little more force at one point as she and Collier battled for a loose ball near the paint, leading to a look downfield between the two stars.

Full screen slideshowPrevious slide

4 from 4

1 from 4

2 from 4

Next slide

Later in the second quarter, Kayla McBride stuck her forearm into Mabrey’s neck as she made a quick break to the basket. McBride received a technical foul after the two former Notre Dame stars – they missed each other by two years – exchanged words on the way back and took a hit.

McBride had 11 points for the Lynx, helping put them back in the lead after a 2-for-15 start from the field.