Bridget Carleton

There weren’t necessarily any “wrong answers” for the Minnesota Lynx, as they unselfishly filtered through options of which player would take Game One’s deciding dagger with under a minute remaining. Eventually, though, with a charged-up Target Center crowd beginning to cohesively count down the precious seconds, Minnesota delegated the task to a player who discovered zero problem burying big-time buckets all throughout a dramatic September. Pressured by both Sophie Cunningham and a quickly-draining play clock, Bridget Carleton works swiftly, setting off powerfully down the left baseline. Squaring her feet, elevating, and maintaining form throughout, Carleton ultimately finds bottom, draining the 3-pointer to secure the series-opener on September 22, 2024. For Carleton — No. 1 in 3-point percentage (50.0 percent) among 31 players to attempt at least 30 fourth quarter triples in 2024 — it merely confirmed her status as a fearless crunchtime sniper. The heroic play helped Minnesota survive a scare in which the No. 7-seeded Phoenix Mercury turned a 23-point deficit into a late lead. Unphased as usual, Carleton rose when it mattered, contributing 12 points (on four-of-eight), six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers in the victory.