The Minnesota Lynx continued their post-Olympic drive to the playoffs beating the Atlanta Dream 76-64, dimming the lights just a bit on Atlanta’s hope of making the post-season.
This game was about defense, and each team did its job in making it a relatively low-scoring, low-turnover kind of game. The Lynx held Atlanta to 30 percent shooting but put them on the free-throw line more than Atlanta did for the Lynx. The Dream went 17-19, while Minnesota went 5-9. The Lynx dominated in the paint, outscoring Atlanta 40-26, and assisted 24 of 32 made buckets, compared to Atlanta’s 12 of 21.
Kayla McBride led the Lynx scorers with 15, and Allisha Gray led the Dream with 17. For the Lynx, Bridget Carleton and Napheesa Collier each scored 14, and Courtney Williams added 12. Tina Charles and Rhyne Howard were the only other Dream players to reach double figures, scoring 13 and 14 respectively.
HAVIN’ FUN & BALLIN’ OUT! pic.twitter.com/OH35FYhn6P
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) September 11, 2024
The Dream will have a home and away against the Washington Mystics next, and then a home game with the Chicago Sky. They end their season at New York. While not entirely out of the race for the #8 spot, they cannot afford one mistake. The Lynx head home for a game against the Sky, then back out on the road to New York and Connecticut.
What’s Next For The Lynx?
Minnesota has yet to conquer the Sun, so this game will not only help them retain the number two spot but also avoid the season sweep. They’ve beaten the Liberty, and with their A-game, there is no reason that they can’t do it again. The Lynx will finish their regular season at home versus the Los Angeles Sparks, who are still playing to win and not to be a doormat for the rest of the league. Minnesota is also going to need not just their A game, but their A++ game in these last four contests.
There has been amusing talk about not wanting to play the Indiana Fever in the first round. As well as the Fever have been playing, the Sun has split with Indiana, and Minnesota has gone 2 – 1 against the Fever. Perhaps not wanting to play Minnesota is something the other playoff teams might want to consider. Regardless, this post-season could be full of surprises. The race for the eighth position may very well come down to the wire. It is pretty close right now.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
