The fact that the Dallas Wings owned the second half of their 94-76 victory over the Minnesota Lynx begs the question of why haven’t they won more games this season. The absence of Satou Sabally during the pre-Olympic portion of the season is one reason. Maddy Siegrist and Natasha Howard missing significant games is another reason.
Arike Ogunbowale‘s dynamic scoring and Teaira McCowan‘s dominance in the paint are not enough to win games by themselves, so when you put this combination on the floor with all pistons firing, their percentage chance of winning goes way up. The Lynx, on the other hand, had a poor shooting night, and worst of all, gave up 50 points in the paint. Dallas also scored 25 points off of Lynx turnovers.
So it is safe to say that for this game, the usually on-point defense wasn’t, and they had a bad shooting night. Why? Because it happens. The Wings have said that they don’t want to be the “spoiler” to other teams, and while it will take an incredible run here at the end of the season, their chances of making the playoffs are slim. They are also going to need to address the need for a stronger bench to give the starters a breather from time to time.
Collier and Her MVP Candidacy
While the Lynx had a sub-par shooting night, the dynamism of Napheesa Collier continues to make the case for her as the MVP this season. The Lynx have also shown in the past their ability to bounce back from a loss, so this game is not an indication of anything more than Dallas handily winning against an arguably excellent team.
What’s Next For The Wings and Lynx?
The Wings have nine games remaining, including five road games, and it is unlikely that they will go 9-0 from here on. The Lynx have eight remaining games, with five on the road. After Sunday’s home game versus Chicago, they have three on the road, one at home, two on the road, and the final game at home. That’s a tough schedule, and hoping to go 8-0 is of course the plan, but facing Indiana, New York, and Connecticut might prove to be obstacles.
final. pic.twitter.com/Zk4sYoc0HY
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 31, 2024
In fact, the Lynx will face these three teams on the road, which will certainly add to the difficulty. Impossible? No, even with the madness of playing in Indiana. The Fever have become a formidable team, but they too will be fighting to stay in the playoff race. The Lynx have beaten the Liberty twice, lost to Connecticut twice, and have split two games with the Fever. As we saw when Los Angeles beat the Liberty, anything can happen. Connecticut has been vulnerable, and the Fever, well, that is going to be difficult.
So from now on, the margin for error is almost non-existent. That goes for every team, regardless of the standings. The argument that teams on the bottom will “tank” in order to get a better draft pick is ridiculous. I would also say that whatever one sees on social media should be ignored. What we see on the court is what matters.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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