Chicago, IL — Napheesa Collier delivered a stellar all-around performance with 29 points, five assists, and three steals, leading the Minnesota Lynx to a 91-78 victory over the Chicago Sky on Monday night. Courtney Williams also had a near triple-double, contributing 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and four steals as the Lynx avenged their recent loss to the Sky.
Minnesota (19-4), which was playing its fourth game in six days, bounced back from a tough 87-81 defeat to Chicago on Saturday with an impressive road win.
The Lynx came alive in the second half. After Bridget Carleton’s 3-pointer opened the third quarter, Minnesota took a 47-46 lead that they would never lose. Collier further extended the advantage with a clutch 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third, giving the Lynx a 68-63 lead. In the fourth, Collier added to her team’s momentum, scoring two free throws to cap an 8-2 run that stretched the lead to 76-65.
Minnesota’s defense tightened in the final minutes, forcing turnovers on three consecutive Chicago possessions. The Lynx capitalized with quick layups on the other end, pushing the lead to 87-74 with 2:39 left and effectively putting the game out of reach.
Collier finished 7-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 11-for-11. Kayla McBride contributed 17 points, and Carleton added 11 as the Lynx shot 12-of-32 from 3-point range.
For Chicago (7-14), Angel Reese recorded her ninth consecutive double-double, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Rachel Banham also added 15 points, while Rebecca Allen chipped in with 10. However, the Sky were dealt a blow when Ariel Atkins, who scored 27 points in the previous game, left in the second quarter with a leg injury and did not return.
