The Minnesota Lynx swept the Atlanta Dream Thursday
night to clinch their second WNBA championship in three
years, led by several dominant performances from 31-
year-old, eight-months pregnant Rebekkah Brunson.
Brunson, a 6-foot, 2-inch tall, 215-pound power forward
who recently entered her third trimester, averaged 26
points and 14 rebounds in the series and was by all
accounts the Lynx’s biggest threat on both ends of the
floor.
“Rebekkah was really the difference-maker, there’s no
question about that,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve,
adding that Brunson’s low-post game has drastically
improved since putting on 40 pounds over the past few
months. “She did it all—blocking shots, snagging
rebounds, and absolutely dominating in the paint. And I
don’t think I’ve ever seen a player just blow through the
lane like that. No one could guard her.”
“When she threw her weight around down low, she was
unstoppable,” Reeve continued. “Rebekkah was boxing
out every other player on the court to get rebounds, and
to do that against a team as good as the Dream was
really something special.”
According to Reeve, Brunson’s commanding presence in
the key and 37-centimeter baby bump set the tone for
Minnesota’s success against Atlanta. In addition to
converting a host of contested layups, Brunson frequently
set picks on the perimeter, leading to a number of wide-
open three-pointers for her teammates. The 10-year
WNBA veteran whose due date is Nov. 8 also drew nine
charges over the course of three games while on defense.
Furthermore, many analysts said the highlight of the entire
series came when Brunson knifed through three Dream
defenders during a fierce drive to the basket, which the
eight-months pregnant forward finished with an acrobatic
teardrop layup.
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