Lynx 82, Sparks 66: A Dominating Fourth Quarter

Without Napheesa Collier, the Lynx double-up the Sparks in the fourth quarter to stay atop the WNBA standings.

On a hot summer night in downtown Minneapolis, the Minnesota Lynx put their top WNBA-leading record to the test against the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Lynx were without MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier because of a back injury she sustained against the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday. The Sparks continue to play without their 2024 draft pick, Cameron Brink, who continues to recover from an ACL tear.

The Lynx got off to a great start without their superstar, scoring the first eight points of the game, including a 3-pointer and layup from Courtney Williams and a tough and-1 bucket by Kayla McBride.

After a timeout, the Sparks were able to stop the bleeding, preventing the Lynx from taking a lead higher than eight for the remainder of the first quarter.

With eight minutes left in the first half, the Minnesota offense would fall silent, going almost five full minutes without a single point. The drought took what was a seven-point lead for the Lynx down to a four-point deficit. A pair of McBride free throws and Maria Kliundikova’s first 3-pointer of the season stopped the Sparks’ run and gave the Lynx a one-point lead.

Both teams would trade baskets down the stretch of the first half before a Kelsey Plum buzzer-beating layup gave the Sparks a 35-34 halftime lead.

The Sparks built a small lead early in the second half before the Lynx fought back to retake the lead themselves. The third quarter score remained close throughout the entire period. With time running out in the quarter, the Sparks missed a shot from deep, allowing the Lynx to get out in transition with Diamond Miller putting in a layup at the buzzer, putting the Minnesota lead at 57-54.

Neither team found any separation in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter until, with the Lynx up by one, Williams drove into the paint and found McBride in the corner to put Minnesota up by four.

A McBride and-1 layup, followed by a patented Williams mid-range jump shot, capped off an 8-0 Lynx run giving them a nine-point lead, their largest of the game to that point.

After a timeout, the Sparks got a made basket, but could not contain the Lynx offense as Alanna Smith and McBride each hit shots from beyond the arc, bringing the Minnesota run to 14-2 and their lead all the way up to 13.

The Lynx would go on to win 82-66. McBride was outstanding, scoring 29 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter. Williams was also great, putting up 18 points and six assists. The pair of Lynx players made a combined seven 3-pointers. Plum led the way for the Sparks with 15 points.

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Key Takeaway

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images

No Phee, no problem

Collier missed her second game of the season, this time with a back injury that flared up a few days earlier in a game against the Aces. The Lynx have won both of these games, the first of which came on May 30 against the Phoenix Mercury. Both games followed a similar story of the game remaining close until a fourth-quarter Lynx run secured the win.

Having a player of the quality of Collier is the most valuable asset a basketball team can have, but championship-caliber teams are good enough to win on nights when, for whatever reason, their superstar player is not available.

Through the two games without Phee, the Lynx have shown that their roster is strong enough and deep enough to win games even without their offensive focal point and defensive anchor. Players like McBride and Williams were able to take on more of the scoring load with Kliundikova playing strong minutes as the primary center.

The Lynx now stand with a 12-1 record, two more wins than any other team. All signs point to them having all the makings of a team that can win it all. There’s a lot of basketball left to play, but the Lynx have shown. through the first 13 games of their season, to be as good a bet as any to end up in the WNBA Finals yet again.

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Up Next

The Lynx head out east for a two-game road trip starting on Tuesday against the Washington Mystics. The game begins at 7:00 PM CT with fans being able to catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network.