Wings 94, Lynx 76: Decimated in Dallas

A lackadaisical Minnesota Lynx effort allows seven Dallas Wings players to score double-digit points, including 50 total points in the paint allowed.

Seven.

That’s how many games the Minnesota Lynx have won in a row leading up to this game. The last time the Lynx have had a winning streak of this proportion was over three years ago. Even more impressive is the fact that the last six victories have all been by double-digits. If there was ever a doubt that Minnesota was a tier one contenders before the break, then the cat is certainly out of the bag now.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the 23-8 Lynx who are second in league standings, we have the 8-22 Dallas Wings who are second to last in the standings. It wasn’t so long ago that ESPN ranked the Wings as the 5th best team and the Lynx as 10th in their Preseason Power Rankings. Regardless, they come into Target Center on a two-game win streak thanks to the arrival of last season’s Most Improved Player, Satou Sabally.

The game certainly didn’t go as many expected.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

The Start — A Slow Lynx Start

Things were wonky right from the start. Less than two minutes into the game, Alanna Smith had a 1-on-0 fastbreak opportunity. Unfortunately, she took a weird step and went crashing to the floor, misfiring on the should-have-been guaranteed two points. She was looked out on the bench shortly afterwards, suffering a right ankle injury, and though Smith would to the floor later in the game, she finished with just 14 minutes and never looked quite right again.

Meanwhile, the rest of her teammate was ice cold from the field. An 0 for 5 start from beyond the arc was a stark contrast to Dallas’ playstyle of aggressively attacking the paint. In addition the Wings success down low with their size, Arike Ogunbowale sinking jumpers from perimeter was a scary precursor of what was to come. Dallas ballooned a four-point first quarter lead all the way up to 12 midway through the second quarter. The energy and execution from the Lynx was concerning as they were getting bullied all over the floor.

The Middle — Collier Pulls Minnesota Back In

Just when it looked like the home team looked ready to cruise to an even bigger lead, Kayla McBride hit a big triple to break an 0 for 4 start for the 11th-year guard. That brought a spark to Cheryl Reeve’s lifeless team, igniting a huge 18-5 run where they held the Wings field goal-less for over three minutes of game time. The impressive ball movement that Minnesota was known for was suddenly back, generating good look after good look. They even gave Dallas a taste of their own medicine, snatching out-offensive rebounding them four to one in the second quarter.

Napheesa Collier had once again found her groove as well, notching 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. It’s become commonplace to see Collier dominate a game that those numbers don’t even look out of place. Her seven-point period allowed the Lynx to take a 40-39 lead at the break.

Would Minnesota be able to flex their muscle and take care of business after a less-than-stellar half?

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

The Finish — Wings Bully Their Way to Victory

Dallas Wings Head Coach, Latricia Trammell, seemed comfortable with the game plan heading into the second half. Sure, Minnesota outshot Dallas from perimeter (5 of 21 versus 1 of 8). However, Dallas was getting much easier looks close to the bucket. As they continued to let the Lynx fire away, they usurped their first half total in three pointers by drilling two trey balls in the first few minutes of the second half. This only further opened up the interior for them, forcing tough switches in the paint. They did a great job getting the ball down to six-foot, seven-inch Teaira McCowan, six-foot, four-inch Satou Sabally, and six-foot, four-inch Natasha Howard. Minnesota fell into foul trouble, couldn’t defend pick-and-rolls, and completely collapsed.

Before you knew it, opened up a 12-point lead. There was a whiff of a chance left for Minnesota thanks to six free throws to end the period, but they were still outscored 29-19 in the third quarter. The home crowd was fired up as Dallas continued with the same game plan in the final quarter. It took them just 2:15 to pile up a 15-point lead as Reeve was none too pleased with her team’s effort. They briefly benched Collier and Williams to give them a stern talking to, but the bench was also futile in their absence. The Wings were mostly getting good looks against uncharacteristically poor defense, but they were also hitting their fair share of “lucky” shots as well. At one point, six-foot, seven backup center, Kalani Brown, drilled a one-handed 19-foot mid-range jumper before the shot clock buzzer.

That could sum up the night.

The majority of the fourth quarter was garbage time, despite Trammell playing the majority of her starters for over nine minutes. Collier finished with a double-double. Bridget Carleton had an efficient 12 points on 4 of 10 shooting from downtown. Both McBride and Cecilia Zandalasini also found success on offense, but the entire team failed to execute their gameplan. The only bright spot in the game was their second quarter effort. Ogunbowale led all scorers with 25 points, while six (!) of her teammates all tallied double-digit scoring efforts. As mentioned earlier, it was a rare off night for them on defense as they miss out on a crucial game to crawl up the standings.

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Up Next

Minnesota will pack their bags and return back home for a chance to bounce back soon. They welcome the Chicago Sky on Sunday, 9/1 at 2:00 PM CT. Their matinee showdown against Angel Reese, who the Lynx passed on in the draft, will likely draw a lot of eyeballs. They may have lost four of their last (INSERT) games, but they’ve been very competitive. In fact, three of those losses were by four points or less.

In their lone matchup against the Lynx late in June, they gave Minnesota all they could handle. The Sky led for the majority of the second half until Reeve’s squad blanketed them in the fourth. The number one defense in the league held Chicago to 2 of 23 (8.7%) shooting in the final quarter, resulting in a 18-5 advantage and an eight-point victory. Notably, Reese set the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles in that game as well.