Neal: A Lynx crowd large and loud turns out, but the festive atmosphere just couldn't last

A deflating loss left a locker room full of deflated players after an intense WNBA Finals game Wednesday.

The intensity came with a precedent. The Lynx hosted Game 5 of the 2016 Finals against the Los Angeles Sparks. A 24-second violation against the Sparks late in the game was not called. A desperation last-second shot by Lindsay Whalen banged off the glass, leading to a crushing, one-point loss to the Sparks and owner Magic Johnson that denied the Lynx a fourth championship. At the time.

But a crowd of 19,423 filled Target Center for that thriller. And coach Cheryl Reeve couldn't wait for more of those crowds.

"I've said this often, the L.A. Sparks and Minnesota Lynx rivalry, I thought was a look into the future of our league," Reeve said before Wednesday's Game 3 of the 2024 WNBA Finals against New York.

Later Wednesday, a Target Center record crowd of 19,521 filled the building as the Lynx and Liberty met with the series tied 1-1.

The upper bowl of Target Center was open for the first time this postseason, and the Lynx fans proved it was the right choice.

Outside, GO LYNX was painted along First Avenue. Street signs downtown were swapped out for ones including the team logo. The area has stepped up to back their team.

The Lynx's quest for a WNBA-record fifth title is taking place during the most impactful season in league history. Interest in the league is at an all-time high, and Reeve actually mentioned Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese while stating reasons for the increased interest.

But let's not ignore the Lynx's hand in this.

In Game 1, they trailed New York by 18 points in the first half and 15 in the fourth quarter before their rally forced overtime and produced a Lynx win in one of the most thrilling games in league history. A TV audience of 1.1 million watched, the most ever for a Game 1.

And fans returned with their popcorn when Game 2 arrived. On an NFL Sunday, 1.34 million viewers took in Game 2, the most watched Finals game in 23 years. The average audience of the first two games of the series was 1.24 million — an 82% increase from last year's Finals. We have bought in.

On Wednesday, there were few empty seats at tipoff. Fans cheered when Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was shown on the videoboard. They also cheered when Whalen was pointed out less than three minutes before halftime. Those cheers turned into roars when Whalen slipped off her championship ring and held it in front of the camera.

The Lynx used a 12-0 run in the first quarter to take ownership of the game. They led by 15 points in the first quarter and 13 in the second. Then they botched opportunities to grow leads. New York pressed the issue in the third quarter and even further in the fourth.

The Lynx let the Liberty off the mat. New York got up and punched back, led by Breanna Stewart's 30 points and 11 rebounds. The Liberty wore the Lynx down with physical play — that's what Stewart suggested afterward — and the Lynx are now tasked to push the series to a Game 5.

Games 1 and 3 of this series have been epic. and Game 2 was far from dull. And a packed Target Center and national television audience looked on Wednesday, looking for more talking points to use at the water cooler.

It's taken too long to get to this point, but the league's upward trajectory is encouraging. The level of play is elite. There's greater investment in the league and women's sports in general. This market has seen it with the first-year success of the Minnesota Frost and the popularity of a soccer team that isn't even a professional team, the Aurora.

Lynx fans, however, had to leave Target Center on Wednesday following a deflating 80-77 loss to the Liberty after Sabrina Ionescu hit a three-pointer from Wayzata with one second remaining in the game to bring New York within one win of the WNBA title.

Another fantastic game. Another deflating loss for the Lynx.

Now the joint needs to be packed again on Friday for Game 4.