Minnesota
Minnesota can't finish off New York and now must find way to win two straight games for 5th title
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx got the start they wanted. They just couldn’t finish off the New York Liberty.
The Lynx blew a 15-point lead and will need two straight victories to win a record fifth WNBA championship after losing 80-77 to the Liberty on a last-second shot by Sabrina Ionescu Wednesday night in Game 3 of the Finals.
Game 4 is Friday night.
“There’s so many ups and downs and swings all around, and it takes special mental toughness and physical toughness to sort of weather those swings, and here we are,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We’re disappointed. We’re home. We played well and just couldn’t come up with the win.”
Minnesota had only led New York for about three minutes in the first two games of the best-of-five series. The Lynx were able to come home with a split though and were playing at home in front of a franchise-record crowd of 19,521 that included former point guard Lindsay Whalen, who was part of the team’s four championships.
That energized the team to get off to a strong start, as Minnesota led by 10 after one quarter. The Lynx were able to build a 15-point lead in the first half before seeing that evaporate as Breanna Stewart rallied New York.
Minnesota hit 10 of its 20 shots in the opening quarter but was 19 for 55 the rest of the way.
“Definitely, we got the shots that we wanted. We got good shots, and we just didn’t convert and they did,” said Courtney Williams. “Again, great players make great plays. That’s kind of how the game played out.”
Minnesota now will have to find a way to win the final two games. Four teams have done that in the Finals after trailing 2-1. The Lynx were the last to do it in 2017, which also was the franchise’s last title and trip to the championship round.
Phoenix was the only one of the four to lose Game 2 and 3 and still win a championship.
“I feel like they were making plays at the end of shot clocks and like Coach said, we were getting really good looks,” said Napheesa Collier, who led Minnesota with 22 points. “We just weren’t executing on the offensive end. It’s just hard when you get that and then obviously they are a great offensive team.”
Minnesota had to play the last few minutes without forward Alanna Smith, who was having issues with her back.
Reeve didn’t have any update after the game on Smith’s status. She finished with two points and six rebounds in just under 20 minutes. She didn’t play the final 6:06 of the game.
“Give credit to Lan. She did what she could do,” Reeve said. “We were plus-20 when she was on the floor. So it obviously hurt. Our starting five is a really good starting five, and you know, not having Lan, foul trouble, and then just not feeling like she could go put us in a bit of a bind.”
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AP freelance writer Tyler Mason contributed to this story.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
(FOX 9) – Minnesota is joining a legal challenge targeting the largest media merger in history, arguing that it would ultimately be a bad deal for customers.
AG Ellison joins lawsuit to block Warner Bros.-Paramount merger
What we know:
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 11 other attorneys general, filing a lawsuit to stop the $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation.
The suit alleges the merger would violate antitrust laws by creating a media conglomerate that would control nearly one-third of all U.S.-based theatrical movies.
The combined company would control about 27% of the market for wide-release theatrical films and basic cable channels. Only three distributors would control 75% of wide-release films, and four — including Disney, Universal, and Sony — would control 86%, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also points out that Warner Bros. is currently the second largest and Paramount the third largest in licensing basic cable channels, and together they would control 27% of that market. The merger would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major basic cable companies, eliminating competition and harming movie theaters, cable distributors and consumers.
What they’re saying:
“Minnesotans deserve a fair and competitive marketplace, not one where a handful of giant corporations control what we watch, what we pay, and what choices we have,” AG Ellison said in a statement. “This would be the largest merger in media and entertainment history. It will raise prices, limit innovation, and reduce the variety of voices in media and entertainment. I’m taking action because this goes too far in consolidating power with a few at the expense of the public.”
What’s next:
The coalition has asked Warner Bros. and Paramount not to close the merger until after the judicial process concludes. If the companies refuse, the attorneys general plan to file a temporary restraining order to halt the deal.
The Source: Information provided in a statement from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
WASHINGTON (7News) — The debate over the National Guard presence in the nation’s capital is intensifying after the Pentagon told 7News the Guard mission connected to President Donald Trump’s crime initiative could continue through Inauguration Day 2029 unless it is ended sooner by the president.
The development comes as one governor has decided to withdraw troops from Washington, while D.C. leaders are urging other states to do the same.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is pulling his state’s National Guard members out of the District earlier than originally planned.
Walz’s office says its mission to support America 250 celebrations has concluded. The decision follows concerns about whether some Guard members were being used beyond the security mission tied to those events.
RELATED | Pentagon to keep National Guard activated in D.C. through Inauguration Day 2029
The D.C. Council is also pressing other states to reconsider their deployments.
All 13 councilmembers signed letters to the governors of Michigan and the U.S. Virgin Islands asking them to withdraw their National Guard troops from the District. Council leaders argue those service members were deployed to support the nation’s 250th anniversary events—not a broader federal public safety mission.
“They’re just doing their job, but it still hurts the city. It hurts our image. It creates resentment,” D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.
SEE ALSO | 13-year-old boy shot and killed in Northeast DC home
“The letters were sent to two states that we were surprised when they decided to send the guard. Now, they sent the guard, as I understand it, to support the America 250 events. So it would be nice if they just kind of go back home,” Mendelson added.
According to the Joint Task Force overseeing the deployment, more than 5,100 National Guard members are currently assigned to the District, including troops supporting Freedom 250 events and other summer activities.
While Minnesota is ending its deployment, governors in states including Georgia and Mississippi have said their Guard members will remain in Washington to support the president’s mission.
A road rage-related shooting caused a southern Twin Cities metro highway to shut down for several hours Saturday evening.
The Minnesota State Patrol and the Eagan Police Department responded to a report of a road rage incident on northbound Interstate 35E near Deerwood Drive around 5:16 p.m., according to Eagan police.
Police say one of the drivers fired multiple rounds at another vehicle. While no one was injured, the victim’s vehicle was struck by gunfire and sustained damage.
The Eagan Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect vehicle and driver involved. Investigators are looking for a white 2010-2014 Ford F-150. The truck is described as having four doors, black door handles, gray rocker panels, a black tonneau cover and visible rust around the driver’s side rear wheel well/fender. The suspect is described as a White man with long, dark hair.
Anyone with information about the incident or the driver is asked to contact the Eagan Police Department tip line at 651-675-5799 or email the department at eaganpd@eaganmn.gov.
I-35E reopened to traffic around 8:10 p.m. Saturday.
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