Happy Labor Day Canis family!
While all of us were enjoying our day off and the final feelings of summer, the Minnesota Lynx continued their record-setting season tonight at Target Center against hometown favorite Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
With the Lynx clinching the number one seed for the WNBA Playoffs on Saturday against the Connecticut Sun, the mindset for the rest of the season shifts. While they are still trying to win games, the focus is on refining what needs improvement and maintaining
their health.
One way to do that is to give some players some extra rest, and the Lynx took that opportunity tonight with Kayla McBride, who did not play in the game. DiJonai Carrington, who was traded from Dallas to Minnesota last month, started in place of McBride, her first start as a member of the Lynx.
Unfortunately, Carrington suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter and did not return to the game. Stepping up in her place was Natisha Hiedeman, who had a career night, scoring a season-high 20 points off the bench, making four 3-pointers, including one at the end of the third quarter as the Lynx were starting to put the game away. Hiedeman also had a career-high ten assists, good for her first double-double of her career.
Hideman wasn’t the only Lynx player to shoot the lights out as Minnesota finished the night making 14 of their 24 3-pointers in the game.
The game was a near wire-to-wire win for the Lynx, who won each quarter by at least three points while giving up only 30 points in the second half. The Lynx won by a final score of 96-71. The victory was Minnesota’s 32nd of the season, extending their franchise record and putting them just two back of the WNBA record for wins in a single season.
Napheesa Collier was again brilliant, scoring 25 points on 7-10 shooting from the field, including four makes from beyond the arc to go along with three rebounds and three blocks. Courtney Williams put up an efficient 15 points, also shooting 7-10 from the floor while dishing out nine assists.
In a game where they did not have McBride or really much motivation from the standings to secure the win, the Lynx continued to look like the favorite to win this year’s WNBA Finals tonight.
Up Next
The Lynx’s next game is a fun one, as on Thursday, September 4, they take on the Las Vegas Aces, who are currently on a twelve-game winning streak, one I’m sure Minnesota would love to snap. The game begins at 9:00 PM CT and can be watched locally on FanDuel Sports Network and nationally on Prime Video.
