The Minnesota Lynx and the Washington Mystics entered Sunday’s matchup looking to extend their winning streak knowing full well only one would emerge victorious. I would suspect that this game wasn’t exactly the kind of emergence either team had anticipated.
In what I can only categorize as a head-scratching game, the Lynx managed to defeat the Mystics in a relatively low-scoring odd game in which neither team shot particularly well, and although there weren’t a massive amount of turnovers, the Lynx managed to eke out a few more points off of them and only allowed Washington 2-3 at the free throw line. Minnesota went 17-17 at the line, with Napheesa Collier leading the way. Washington fared better from three, and each team had 19 assists.
Through three quarters, it appeared as though the Mystics might get their wish. They managed to hold off the Lynx, although Minnesota slowly crept back into the game, and trailed only by one point after three. In the fourth, it was more back and forth until, with one minute remaining and the Lynx up by three, Kayla McBride and Myisha Hines-Allen each hit a pair of free throws, sealing the 78-71 win for the Lynx.
Napheesa Collier cooked against the Washington Mystics 👩🍳
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 8, 2024
Collier knocked down 19 PTS, 12 REB to help lead the #2 @minnesotalynx to the dub #WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/c9odnontE1
Brittney Sykes, Stefanie Dolson, and Ariel Atkins were the only Mystics players in double figures, with Sykes leading the way with 13 points. Collier, Bridget Carleton, McBride, Courtney Williams, and Natisha Hiedeman all reach double figures, with Collier scoring 19 points a grabbing 12 rebounds.
Impact for Lynx and Mystics Playoff Hopes and What’s Next
This game bolstered Minnesota’s hold on 2nd place, while Washington’s playoff hopes took it on the chin. Trailing Chicago by only two games, the candle hasn’t quite burned out yet, but it is flickering. Washington travels to Chicago next for a crucial game, but the remaining games will also be rather large hurdles. Minnesota next goes to Atlanta on Tuesday, and then home to meet the Chicago Sky on Friday.
After that, two more road games at New York and Connecticut, and then the finale at home versus the Los Angeles Sparks. Neither team will end on a cakewalk, so it should be an exciting and perhaps frenetic end-of-the-season race, not only for the Mystics and Lynx, but everyone, particularly for the teams vying for that last playoff spot. The Mystics have the talent to do it, even with what they will encounter. The Lynx can’t afford another game such as this one, so hopefully, for them, it is a lesson learned. We’ll soon find out.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
