Lynx 76, Aces 62: Courtney Williams 4th Quarter Inferno Seals Comeback Victory

Courtney Williams’ 20 points (18 in the 2nd half) lift Lynx over Aces.

After a dominant bounce-back win against the Los Angeles Sparks, where Napheesa Collier dominated, the Minnesota Lynx take on the new-look Aces sans Kelsey Plum for the first time this season. This Tuesday evening matchup will be without A’ja Wilson in the final WNBA Commissioner’s matchup of the season. Win and stamp your ticket to a second WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship matchup in the last two seasons.

It was a tough offensive start for the Lynx as they were held scoreless for the first 3-plus minutes of the game. Minnesota was sputtering, so they put in Natisha Hiedeman to inject some pace into the offense and try to work themselves into a rhythm. This spurred a 7-2 run that got them back into the game. Turnovers plagued both teams early as the Aces had 8 and the Lynx had 4 after the first. Las Vegas did a great job on the defensive end early on, holding the Lynx to 15 points and 0/8 shooting from three in the opening quarter.

Natisha Hiedeman continued her great play off the bench, getting good looks for herself and others, but a 14-2 extended Aces run gave Las Vegas an 11-point advantage a little over halfway through the second. Minnesota was struggling to get into a rhythm offensively, and the Aces were doing a great job shutting down Napheesa Collier and holding her to 2/7 from the field.

Diamond Miller helped to break the Lynx out of their funk with a couple of quick buckets, good for five points in the closing minutes of the quarter. After Minnesota stabilized a bit, the score was 39-30 in favor of LV. This was the lowest-scoring first half of the season for Minnesota.

Both teams again started the quarter slowly, but the Lynx used their stifling defense to get stops and cut the Aces’ lead down. A 10-1 Lynx run tied the game at 40 halfway through the third quarter. At this point, Napheesa Collier went to the locker room with a lower back tweak. With this injury, the Lynx would need contributions from elsewhere to keep their run going and overtake Las Vegas.

Diamond Miller led the way in the third with seven points, helping Minnesota to take its first lead with four minutes left in the quarter. With Diamond’s contribution, they used tons of team offense with movement and cutting to storm past the Aces and take a 56-52 lead, outscoring LV 26-13 in the frame.

After a great third quarter, the Lynx had all the momentum but no Napheesa Collier. Minnesota needed someone to step up, and Courtney Williams answered the call. She started the 4th quarter blazing hot and was the engine behind a 14-2 run in the 4th quarter. She scored 11 of those 14 points.

The Minnesota defense also kept up their end of the bargain, as they held the Aces scoreless for over six minutes. The halfhearted effort fell short as the Lynx used a dominant second half to cruise to a 14-point victory.

---

Key Takeaways

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Courtney Williams Stepping Up

The first half was one to forget for Courtney Williams and the Lynx. They couldn’t get any kind of rhythm going on the offensive end of the floor. As Minnesota was in the midst of its run, Napheesa Collier came up grabbing her lower back in the third quarter. When your best player goes out like that, you need someone to step up in their absence.

Courtney Williams did that. She scored 18 of her 20 points in the 4th quarter and was the key piece in a massive run to start the 4th, which put the Aces away and gave the Lynx the win. Her scoring mixed with playmaking and ability to push that button in the fourth was exactly what Minnesota needed down the stretch. She came up huge in the most crucial moments.

Dominant Defensive 2nd Half

The Lynx were a bit sluggish in the 1st half but asserted their will on the defensive end in the second half. They shut down the Aces, and their sheer pursuit spurred exhaustion as the game wore on. Minnesota outscored LV 46-23 in the second half, as so many empty possessions plagued the Aces during the third and fourth quarters. Vegas had no answers and could not figure out a way to consistently break down the Lynx defense.

The Napheesa Collier Injury

Napheesa Collier went out with a lower back injury in the third quarter, where she immediately subbed out and went to the locker room. She was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game shortly thereafter. This impacted the way the Lynx played during this game and will also be something to monitor going forward. She did not seem to be in too much pain, and the Lynx do have three full days off before their next game, but something to keep an eye on as the week progresses.

---

Up Next

The Minnesota Lynx have another extended break before rematching with Kelsey Plum and the LA Sparks for a second consecutive Saturday at 7:00 PM, airing on NBATV.

With the win, the Lynx also secured a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Final against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. That game will take place on July 1.

---

Game Highlights