Lynx 80, Sky 75: Big Second Quarter Keeps Streak Alive

The Minnesota Lynx turned things around in the second quarter to come back and beat the Chicago Sky on Sunday at Target Center to extend their winning streak to five straight and improving to a perfect 11-0 at home.

The Minnesota Lynx wrapped up their longest homestand of the regular season on Sunday evening in Minneapolis, putting the bow on five straight games at Target Center — including the Commissioner’s Cup Final — as the hottest team in the WNBA.

In the first of three games against the Chicago Sky over the next week, Minnesota remained hot on SLAM Night at Target Center, a night that honored Napheesa Collier’s presence on the cover of SLAM.

Though the Lynx fell behind early, they flipped the switch in the second quarter and quickly regained the lead while not looking back, pulling away with a 80-75 victory. With the win, Minnesota improved to a league-leading 17-2 overall and have now won five straight while improving to 11-0 at home.

Flipping the Switch

The Lynx had a rough start the game, allowing the Sky to get out to a 24-10 advantage while Minnesota struggled offensively and couldn’t get a handle on its interior defense at home.

But in the second quarter, the switch completely flipped and changed the course of the game, with the Lynx holding a 28-13 advantage in the second quarter to regain the lead continue to do so down the stretch.

Despite a late-game comeback attempt — and some chippiness on both sides — Minnesota was able to hold onto the victory to keep its winning streak and undefeated home streak alive.

All Stars Show Up

From start to finish in Sunday’s game, Minnesota was lifted by the All-Star duo of Collier and Courtney Williams.

Prior to the game Sunday, Williams joined Collier — All-Star starter and captain — as the two Lynx representatives when it was announced she had been selected as an All-Star reserve. Williams was selected to the game for the first time as a Lynx player and for the second time of her 10-year WNBA career, with the other selection taking place in 2021 with Atlanta.

Williams, who was voted as a reserve by WNBA head coaches, becomes the 14th player in Lynx franchise history to play in an All-Star Game. It marks the 10th time in franchise history that Minnesota has had multiple players represent the team in the annual mid-season showcase.

In Sunday’s contest, Williams led the way with 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists, followed by Collier with 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Behind those two, Kayla McBride added 11 points, five assists and three rebounds, while Diamond Miller had a strong outing off the bench, posting 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Remaining Undefeated at Home

With the victory, Minnesota is now a perfect 11-0 at Target Center this season, tying a franchise record for the best home start to a regular regular season (11-0 in 2014). The Lynx have started 10-0 or better at home to begin the year on four occasions, doing so in 2014, 2016 (10-0) and 2013 (10-0).

According to the WNBA, the last five teams to open the season 10-0 or better at home have ended the season as WNBA champions.

Up Next

With the current four-game homestand — five if you include the Commissioner’s Cup Final on July 1 — now over, the Lynx hit the road for their longest road trip of the season. Minnesota opens a four-game road trip on Wednesday against the Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix. That game will tip off at 2:30PM CT and can be seen locally in Minnesota on FanDuel Sports Network North.

The rest of the road trip for the Lynx includes stops in Los Angeles on Thursday to take on the Sparks, followed by back-to-back road games against Chicago on July 12 and July 14.