Lynx, after a first quarter that didn't match the others, roll against the Mystics

Kent Youngblood, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jul 3, 2025

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MINNEAPOLIS — Maybe the first quarter Thursday night was some sort of basketball hangover.

The Minnesota Lynx offense looked a little disjointed, much like it did in Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup loss to Indiana. Minnesota struggled to defend inside.

And then: Enough.

In a 92-75 victory over Washington on Thursday at Target Center, the Lynx spotted the Mystics an early 10-point lead. They trailed by eight after the first quarter.

Then Napheesa Collier and Minnesota took over. The Lynx (15-2) finished the second quarter on a 19-6 run to go up by five. Then they started the second half 17-4.

Game over.

Collier scored 28 points, this after going 0 for 3 with no points in the first quarter. She had 10 of Minnesota’s 27 second-quarter points, nine of the team’s 27 in the third, nine more in the fourth. She finished 11 for 21 overall, making all five of her free throws; she has now made 33 straight. Alanna Smith, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams all scored 10. Williams had eight assists, Smith three blocks.

Washington (8-10) was led by Lucy Olsen’s 19 points off the bench.

The Lynx scored 16 points in the first quarter, then outscored Washington 54-28 over the next two. Outscored 16-6 in the paint to start the game, the Lynx outscored the Mystics 46-20 there the rest of the game.

The Lynx opened the game making just three of 11 shots and falling behind by four. But when Bridget Carleton, and then McBride, hit 3-pointers, it appeared the Lynx might be finding their offensive rhythm.

Not so.

Out of a timeout, Washington took off on a 9-0 run and eventually outscored the Lynx 14-4 over the final 3 1/2 minutes of the quarter to take a 24-16 lead. The Lynx made six of 18 shots, two of eight 3s. Washington shot 50%. While the Mystics made just two of 10 3s, they made nine of 12 two-point shots, had a 7-2 edge on second-chance points and a 16-6 edge on points in the paint.

But things changed. Minnesota scored 54 points over the next 20 minutes. Down two, the Lynx ended the half on a 9-2 run that began with a McBride 3, included Collier’s 3-point play and ended with Smith’s buzzer-beating 3 that put the Lynx up 43-38 at the half. The Lynx outscored Washington 27-14 in the quarter, with Collier (10) and McBride (seven) getting 17 of those.

Then the Lynx opened the second quarter 12-2 to push their lead to 15 points midway through the third quarter. Collier had seven of those, including consecutive buckets after consecutive blocks by Smith on the defensive end.

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