Yes, I watched the game from my office, with a well-pulled double espresso and a bowl of wasabi peas. The Minnesota Lynx, coming off of a statement win over the New York Liberty, rolled into Atlanta to face the Dream, who were coming off of a home win against the Dallas Wings, and definitely hungry for more. The Dream had a few days in between; the Lynx had about 26 hours. The first question was how much of a factor will fatigue be for the Lynx, playing their third game in four days. The answer? Not much.
Atlanta is a tough team. With Rhyne Howard leading the charge, and Tina Charles and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus close behind, the Dream presented itself as a gritty opponent, and not an easy team to beat. Minnesota’s trio of Collier, McBride, and Smith offer up a well-oiled machine, clicking with a chemistry that, in this early part of the season, is impressive.
Smith, along with Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, have fit right into the Lynx culture, as have Tina Charles and Aerial Powers for the Dream. What surprised me somewhat was Allisha Gray‘s game. Now in her eighth year in the WNBA, Gray seems to have lost some of her step and accuracy. Perhaps this game was a glitch for Gray, but compared to previous years, she just wasn’t as sharp.
On the whole, there seemed to be something missing with Atlanta, one of those intangibles that is difficult to pinpoint. Nevertheless, whatever it may be, this was, for three quarters, a tight, back-and-forth game.
Moments From The Minnesota Lynx – Atlanta Dream Matchup
Howard certainly came to play, and her game never slowed down or lacked intensity. Crucial buckets kept the Lynx on their toes and added that piece of the puzzle on which the Dream relied more than once. Watching Charles, someone who certainly deserves a Hall of Fame nod, might be the best player never to win a title, the Dan Marino of the WNBA.
That smooth stroke is really a beautiful shot, no matter if you’re rooting for her or not. One has to appreciate it. Naz Hillmon, Powers, and Crystal Dangerfield came off the bench and did what they needed to do, which certainly contributed to the drama of the game.
buckets on buckets on buckets from Mac. 🪣 pic.twitter.com/WTjcKDeVM8
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 27, 2024
Through five games, one has to look at this new version of the Minnesota Lynx with awe. This is the best defense we’ve seen for some time, and the three-point shooting has greatly improved. There are more three-point weapons with Smith, Williams, Hiedeman, and Zandalasini to go along with McBride, Collier, and Carleton. It was really remarkable to watch McBride in this game. She went 10-12 and 6-7 from deep. When McBride hits that rhythm, she is almost unstoppable.
Alanna Smith and Her Effort with the Lynx So Far
Alanna Smith plays with a dedication to a team for which she has only played five regular season games. Collier, who got off to something of a slow start, never fails to impact the game, and will certainly be in the MVP conversation. Both Zandalasini and Juhász, freshly coming off of seasons in Europe, and making their way back to the Lynx style of play, both find ways to contribute.
17 points including three made triples for 'Lan. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/3nrK5hkeJi
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 27, 2024
I appreciated how each team handled the back-and-forth through two and a half quarters. By the middle of the third quarter, the Lynx, who started to show obvious signs of fatigue, discovered that there was an extra gallon in the tank. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta made a little bit of a push, but the Lynx again dug deep and found the juice to pull out the win. No one quit or threw in the towel or limped to the finish line. That was impressive.
Final Thoughts
The Minnesota Lynx managed to bring down the turnover total, although the displeasure you could see on Coach Reeve’s face when it was an unforced turnover was exactly what you would expect it to be. But overall, I would say that these are fairly evenly matched teams statistically, and if it comes down to intangibles to determine the win, then I will that that their games for the rest of the season will be equally hard-fought and entertaining.
Atlanta travels to Washington for a game on Wednesday against the Mystics, who will be looking for their first win. The Lynx will play host to the Las Vegas Aces, also on Wednesday. As formidable as the Aces can be, I don’t believe that is an intimidation factor any longer, particularly not to the Lynx.
While the current standings have the Lynx just ahead of the Aces having played one more game, the Aces will come in determined to get past the early season loss at home to the Mercury. The Lynx will be equally ready, as they will want to keep the big ball rolling.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
