Top-seeded Lynx lament losing their usual composure and a big lead in letting Mercury tie the series

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx remained in control in the final minute of regulation despite the disappearance of a 20-point lead, having built their advantage back up to five after the Phoenix Mercury had tied the game.

The Lynx still led by three points after Satou Sabally's putback for the Mercury, having survived the earlier collapse on their home floor and eyeing a closeout of Game 2 of the semifinal series with their roaring fans anticipating the same.

As it turned out, the top seed in the WNBA playoffs wasn't done unraveling.

Bridget Carleton took the ball to inbound it from the sideline with 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter, but the Mercury had her teammates swarmed. Just as coach Cheryl Reeve screamed for a timeout, the whistle for a 5-second violation was blown. Alyssa Thomas cut the lead to one with a basket in the lane with 25 seconds to go, and the Lynx never fully recovered.

“My timeout was too late. B.C. knows she can always take a timeout,” Reeve said after the 89-83 overtime defeat evened the best-of-five series at one game apiece. "We didn’t get it done.”

In many ways, really.

The Lynx team that went 20-2 at home in the regular season and won its first three games in the playoffs faltered down the stretch in uncharacteristic fashion under the demanding Reeve, whose standard for defense, discipline with the ball and overall tough-mindedness has contributed to four WNBA championships.

While the Mercury were on a 12-0 run late in the third quarter that quickly deflated the aforementioned 20-point lead, the Lynx at one point committed four unforced turnovers in a span of 65 seconds.

“Phoenix did a good job at coming out aggressive, but I think we beat ourselves,” star Napheesa Collier said.

Reeve said she saw some bad body language from “players we’re not used to seeing certain looks from” and lamented the lack of hustle and tenacity that could’ve overcome the sloppiness and ultimately preserved a victory.

“Just playing our defense and making sure that we don’t have turnovers,” Collier said. “I don’t think our defense was the same in the second half as it was in the first half. We need to get back to taking the easy things away, making their shots hard, and taking care of the ball.”

The Lynx, who were beaten in overtime of the decisive game of the WNBA Finals last year by the New York Liberty, won their last title in 2017. The new Collier-led core flourished ahead of most external expectations last season and picked up where they left off in 2025 by leading the league by a healthy margin for most of the summer and finishing 34-10.

Now they must play consecutive games in Phoenix — Game 3 is on Friday and Game 4 is on Sunday — and win at least once to bring their drive for five back to Minnesota.

“It's a resilient team. It’s a team that responds,” Reeve said. “Obviously they don’t feel great right now, but they’re problem-solvers. Nobody said it was going to be easy.”

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Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride reacts during overtime of Game 2 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series against the Phoenix Mercury Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, right, drives toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier defends during the first half of Game 2 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, right, drives toward the basket as Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas defends during the second half of Game 2 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) celebrates her 3-point basket towards Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) during the second half of Game 2 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve works the sidelines during their game against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss Iran's deadly protests at the request of the United States, even as President Donald Trump left unclear what actions he would take against the Islamic state.

Tehran appeared to make conciliatory statements in an effort to defuse the situation after Trump threatened to take action to stop further killing of protesters, including the execution of anyone detained in Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

Iran’s crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday and some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to “temporary halt” travel to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country.

Iran previously closed its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June.

Here is the latest:

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union’s main foreign policy chief said the G7 members were “gravely concerned” by the developments surrounding the protests, and that they “strongly oppose the intensification of the Iranian authorities’ brutal repression of the Iranian people.”

The statement, published on the EU’s website Thursday, said the G7 were “deeply alarmed at the high level of reported deaths and injuries” and condemned “the deliberate use of violence” by Iranian security forces against protesters.

The G7 members “remain prepared to impose additional restrictive measures if Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international human rights obligations,” the statement said.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken with his counterpart in Iran, who said the situation was “now stable,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Abbas Araghchi said “he hoped China will play a greater role in regional peace and stability” during the talks, according to the statement from the ministry.

“China opposes imposing its will on other countries, and opposes a return to the ‘law of the jungle’,” Wang said.

“China believes that the Iranian government and people will unite, overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests,” he added. “China hopes all parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue. China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.”

“We are against military intervention in Iran,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul on Thursday. “Iran must address its own internal problems… They must address their problems with the region and in global terms through diplomacy so that certain structural problems that cause economic problems can be addressed.”

Ankara and Tehran enjoy warm relations despite often holding divergent interests in the region.

Fidan said the unrest in Iran was rooted in economic conditions caused by sanctions, rather than ideological opposition to the government.

Iranians have been largely absent from an annual pilgrimage to Baghdad, Iraq, to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, one of the twelve Shiite imams.

Many Iranian pilgrims typically make the journey every year for the annual religious rituals.

Streets across Baghdad were crowded with pilgrims Thursday. Most had arrived on foot from central and southern provinces of Iraq, heading toward the shrine of Imam al-Kadhim in the Kadhimiya district in northern Baghdad,

Adel Zaidan, who owns a hotel near the shrine, said the number of Iranian visitors this year compared to previous years was very small. Other residents agreed.

“This visit is different from previous ones. It lacks the large numbers of Iranian pilgrims, especially in terms of providing food and accommodation,” said Haider Al-Obaidi.

Europe’s largest airline group said Thursday it would halt night flights to and from Tel Aviv and Jordan's capital Amman for five days, citing security concerns as fears grow that unrest in Iran could spiral into wider regional violence.

Lufthansa — which operates Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings — said flights would run only during daytime hours from Thursday through Monday “due to the current situation in the Middle East.” It said the change would ensure its staff — which includes unionized cabin crews and pilots -- would not be required to stay overnight in the region.

The airline group also said its planes would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace, key corridors for air travel between the Middle East and Asia.

Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for several hours early Thursday without explanation.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Airport Authority, which oversees Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, said the airport was operating as usual.

Iranian state media has denied claims that a young man arrested during Iran’s recent protests was condemned to death. The statement from Iran’s judicial authorities on Thursday contradicted what it said were “opposition media abroad” which claimed the young man had been quickly sentenced to death during a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in the country.

State television didn’t immediately give any details beyond his name, Erfan Soltani. Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani was being held in a detention facility outside of the capital. Alongside other protesters, he has been accused of “propaganda activities against the regime,” state media said.

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Thursday that his government was “appalled by the escalation of violence and repression” in Iran.

“We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Iran’s security forces, including the killing of protesters,” Peters posted on X.

“Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information – and that right is currently being brutally repressed,” he said.

Peters said his government had expressed serious concerns to the Iranian Embassy in Wellington.

A demonstrator lights a cigarette with a burning poster depicting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of Iran's anti-government protests, in Holon, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)