Kayla McBride scored 19 points and dished seven assists as the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 90-78 win over the visiting Dallas Wings on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Natisha Hiedeman finished with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting off the bench for Minnesota (11-3), which won its fourth game in a row. Napheesa Collier scored 16 points and Alanna Smith chipped in 12 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.
Maddy Siegrist and Sevgi Uzun scored 17 points apiece to lead Dallas (3-10). Monique Billings finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Wings, who lost their eighth game in a row.
Dallas played without top scorer Arike Ogunbowale, who missed the game because of a sore Achilles. Ogunbowale is averaging 24.9 points per game this season.
The Lynx outscored the Wings 24-15 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Dallas pulled within 68-65 on Teaira McCowan’s layup with 9:31 remaining before Minnesota responded with a 10-0 run to seize control.
Smith made a basket to start the run, and Dorka Juhasz finished it with a layup to give the Lynx a 78-65 lead with 7:17 to go.
The Wings never got closer than six points within the lead the rest of the way.
Dallas trailed 43-39 at the half before taking a 48-47 lead with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter on Jacy Sheldon’s 3-pointer.
Courtney Williams made a basket as Minnesota pulled ahead 49-48 with 6:28 left, and the Lynx increased their lead to 66-61 in the final minute of the session. Kalani Brown made a layup at the buzzer to bring the Wings within 66-63 entering the fourth quarter.
Minnesota led 43-39 at the half.
The Lynx established a 27-18 lead late in the first quarter after Cecilia Zandalasini made a 3-pointer off an assist from Hiedeman. Minnesota went ahead 37-28 on Hiedeman’s 3-pointer with 7:01 left in the first half.
Dallas finished the first quarter with back-to-back baskets from Billings and Uzun to cut its deficit to 27-22, then closed the second quarter on an 11-6 run to pull within four points.
–Field Level Media