After nearly a full week off since their last game, the Minnesota Lynx were finally back in action Saturday afternoon at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. For the second straight game, they matched up against the New York Liberty, looking to grow their 6.5-game lead atop the WNBA standings.
Each team was again missing a key player as both Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart did not play in the game. The Lynx did get good news regarding Collier’s ankle injury, as she was listed as doubtful on
the injury report, which may mean her return to the court is right around the corner.
The Lynx defense to start the game was outstanding, making every rotation flawlessly and allowing very few, if any, easy shots for the Liberty. The Lynx forced misses on 13 of the Liberty’s first 18 shots, along with forcing four turnovers.
Early in the second quarter, Minnesota took its largest lead of the first half at 15 points after a forced turnover and a “StudBudz” assist of Natisha Hiedeman to Courtney Williams in transition.
The game flipped on its head midway through the second quarter. Right as the Liberty’s offense was starting to find its groove, the Lynx offense went on an extended cold streak, missing 14 of their next 17 shots while turning it over seven times along the way.
The result was a 31-11 Liberty run over about 12 minutes of play that took the sizeable Lynx lead and turned it into a 5-point deficit early in the third quarter. The defense in the third quarter was equally an issue as they forced only six stops of New York the entire frame.
The Lynx were able to get themselves back into the game, going on a 9-4 run, including six points from Alanna Smith, to tie the game up at 71-71 with less than six minutes left in the game.
As it often does with these two teams, the game remained close down the stretch. With less than two minutes left and the Lynx down one, Williams got into the lane with a pretty step-through move to give the Lynx their first lead of the second half.
As it often does with these two teams, the game remained close down the stretch. With less than two minutes left and the Lynx down one, Williams got into the lane with a pretty step-through move to give the Lynx their first lead of the second half.
Next came the dagger.
With a little more than 30 seconds left, Kayla McBride knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer to put the Lynx up by four points. Target Center exploded when the ball went through the hoop, as fans went into a euphoric state with HOT TO GO playing over the speakers during the subsequent timeout.
The Lynx went on to win by a final score of 86-80. Minnesota now leads New York by eight games in the loss column, clinching the tiebreaker with today’s win. Their lead over the Atlanta Dream, who are currently in second place, stands at seven games, with the Lynx needing just five more wins to clinch the number one seed.
Williams was sensational in this one, controlling the Lynx offense from start to finish. She led all players with 26 points on 10-18 shooting, including three 3-pointers, to go along with five rebounds and five assists. McBride and Jessica Shepard, who has joined the starting lineup in Collier’s absence, each scored 17 points.
This story will be updated throughout the night after coach and player media availabilities.
Up Next
For the third straight game, the Lynx take on the Liberty, this time back in New York. The game on Tuesday, August 19, will tip off at 6:00 PM CT, airing on FanDuel Sports Network along with NBA TV.
