It took all of two practices in April for Cheryl Reeve to truly believe that this might work. The new pieces she had acquired through the WNBA offseason — not through high-profile signings or super-team denominations — and the remaining players developed in Minneapolis over the past few years might actually pan out in a way that felt like seasons past.

When it comes to their level of excitement over the Lynx's current playoff run, one couple from Albertville stand above the rest.