Atlanta, GA—- Kayla McBride’s near-flawless performance propelled the Minnesota Lynx to a 92-79 victory over the Atlanta Dream. McBride showcased her sharpshooting skills by sinking 10 of 12 shots, including an impressive 6 of 7 from beyond the arc, totaling 31 points.
Napheesa Collier contributed significantly with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks. Alanna Smith also made an impact, scoring 17 points. On the Dream’s side, Rhyne Howard led with 23 points, supported by Tina Charles with 14 points and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus with 10.
Minnesota outscored Atlanta 28-25 in the first quarter and 23-22 in the second quarter to take a slim 51-47 lead at the break.
The Lynx started the third quarter by making its first seven shots and connected on six 3-pointers to outscore the Dream 26-12. Minnesota shot 61.5% compared to Atlanta’s 25% shooting mark.
“Minnesota is a really good team,” Dream coach Tanisha Wright said. “I thought their connectivity both offensively and defensively is something that we’re striving to get to. We need to be able to get to that level of connectivity as a unit out there. I thought our ball screen defense was very poor today. We didn’t execute. As a result they were able to pick us apart all night. We have to hit the drawing board and get better and use every opportunity we have to get better.”
McBride hit her five shots and five free throws to score 17 points, including a 3 in the closing seconds, and Smith was 5 of 8 for 14 points to help Minnesota take a 51-47 lead at the break.
“We didn’t turn the ball over a ton,” Wright said. “That’s something that’s been plaguing us for the last two years but we’re doing a much better job of that over this year.”
Minnesota’s dominance was evident in the third quarter, where they outscored Atlanta 26-12, fueled by McBride’s 11 points, extending their halftime lead to 77-59. The Lynx’s sharp shooting, including 13 of 29 from downtown, secured their victory, shooting at an impressive 50% overall, while Atlanta struggled, hitting only 6 of 22 from the 3-point range.
The Lynx was 13 of 29 from 3-point range and shot 50% overall. Atlanta was 6 of 22 from downtown.
“This team is good and we know that a lot of their stuff runs through Collier,” Atlanta’s Naz Hillmon said of the Lynx. “She’s a great player and did her job. We just have to figure out ways to stop those players once they get hot.”
The Dream travel to Washington and will face the Mystics on Wednesday before returning home Friday for a matchup with the Las Vegas Aces.