Napheesa Collier scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Minnesota Lynx to an 83-66 win over the Chicago Sky on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Courtney Williams contributed 14 points and 10 assists, while Alanna Smith added 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Lynx (28-9). Myisha Hines-Allen chipped in 11 points off the bench. Minnesota extended its winning streak to five games and has now won 12 of its last 13, holding a lead of up to 20 points during the contest.
Chennedy Carter led the Sky (13-24) with 17 points, and Kamilla Cardoso added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Lindsay Allen and Rachel Banham each scored 10 points. The Sky played their third straight game without star rookie Angel Reese, who is sidelined with a season-ending wrist injury.
Chicago is in a tight race with the Washington Mystics and Atlanta Dream for the final playoff spot, with Washington and Atlanta facing each other on Friday night.
Minnesota shot 45.2 percent from the field and made 8 of 26 three-pointers. In contrast, the Sky shot 36.8 percent overall and connected on 4 of 17 shots from beyond the arc.
The Lynx led by five points at halftime and outscored Chicago 24-9 in the third quarter, making 11 of 19 shots while holding the Sky to just 3 of 19 shooting. Williams scored six points during an 11-0 run that gave Minnesota a 51-35 lead.
Collier extended the Lynx’s advantage with a three-pointer, making it 58-41 with 2:41 remaining in the third quarter. Hines-Allen added a couple of baskets in the final minute, and Minnesota entered the fourth quarter with a 64-44 lead.
Chicago mounted a comeback in the final period, scoring the first 11 points, with Michaela Onyenwere contributing the last four. The Sky reduced the margin to 12 points before McBride hit two free throws, Collier added a basket, and Smith drained a three-pointer, extending the Lynx’s lead to 78-59 with 2:27 remaining, sealing the victory.
The Sky had an early lead of 18-9 in the first quarter before the Lynx rallied. Minnesota went on a 19-5 run in the second quarter to take a 40-31 lead, eventually heading into the break up 40-35 with Collier leading the way with 10 points. Carter scored 11 points for the Sky in the first half.
Source: Field Level Media