For the first time since losing reigning WNBA Player of the Month Napheesa Collier to an ankle injury on Saturday that will keep her out at least a couple of weeks, the Minnesota Lynx took the court without their superstar late Tuesday night against the Seattle Storm.
Collier wasn’t the only player receiving acknowledgment for their stellar play, as Kayla McBride was named Western Conference Player of the Week. The honor was the first Player of the Week nod of her career.
On Saturday against the Las Vegas Aces, the Lynx shot the lights out in the first half, making 13 of their 14 3-point attempts, including an 8-8 performance from McBride. That hot shooting did not carry over to Tuesday night against the Storm, as Minnesota struggled to put the ball in the basket, finishing the first half with a 13-35 field goal percentage and 1-8 from beyond the arc.
Despite the poor offensive start, the Lynx were able to keep the game close until the final moments of the second quarter, when an Erica Wheeler pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 2.7 seconds left put the Storm up 43-35 heading into halftime.
The lid finally lifted off the basket at the start of the third quarter when Minnesota made four of their first five attempts from beyond the arc, including back-to-back makes from Bridget Carleton.
With shots finally starting to fall, the Lynx were able to tie the game up late in the third quarter, trailing the Storm by only a single point heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, DiJonai Carrington, making her Lynx debut after being traded to Minnesota on Sunday, made her mark on the game, coming up with a big block of Tiffany Mitchell before hitting an open 3-pointer on the other end for the highlight sequence.
With her strong play, the Lynx decided to close the game with Carington on the court, and that decision paid dividends. In the fourth quarter, Carrington scored 10 of her 13 total points to go along with a steal, a block, and a pair of rebounds, immediately showcasing why the Lynx made the move to acquire her.
With the game tied and less than seven minutes left in the game. The Lynx league-leading defense put the game away, forcing six straight missed shots and three turnovers over a five-minute span. During that time, the Lynx built a nine-point lead, one that would carry them to victory.
The Storm made the game intersting late, making a flurry of 3-pointers to chip away at the Lynx lead, but they would run out of a time as a lucky bounce on a Courtney Willaims shot from deep and a pair of free throws to put the Lynx up four with 5.5 seconds left sealed a 91-87 victory for the Lynx.
Williams led the way for Minnesota with 20 points, including two 3-pointers, four assists, and four rebounds. McBride also had a productive game, scoring 14 points, including making all nine of her free throw attempts, as well as six assists. Nneka Ogwumike was the leading scorer for the Storm with 23 points.
With Collier out for at least the first half of August, the test for Minnesota was whether they could win enough games to protect their large lead atop the WNBA standings without the MVP frontrunner or would they allow the New York Liberty a chance to catch them. For at least one night, they passed with flying colors, securing a gritty win in Seattle.
The Lynx return home to Target Center on Friday, August 8th, for a matchup against the Washington Mystics. The game begins at 6:30 PM CT. Fans can watch the game on ION Television.