The Minnesota Lynx came into the game on Wednesday night (2-0) in the early season. They were going to be matching up against the Dallas Wings, who have a new look roster including the number 1 pick Paige Bueckers. It was the 1st time that Paige was playing in the WNBA as a professional in her hometown, and she got a lot of love. The Lynx were able to keep some distance throughout the game as Napheesa Collier started getting things going offensively. Napheesa has been special as she has mastered the art of footwork around the paint, and she was a nightmare matchup for the Wings. The Wings threw Hines-Allen at Napheesa, knowing that she was familiar with her game from being on the Lynx last season, but it didn’t work. Napheesa finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists on the night. Napheesa went for 20+ points in 3 straight games, and she has been able to will the team on her back. Through 3 games, Napheesa Collier’s averaging 28.3 PPG, and she’s on pace for an MVP season. The Lynx had 27 assists on the night, which has been amazing for them starting the season, but it was the Wings’ defense that made the ending of the game a lot closer than it needed to be because of the 17 turnovers.
One thing that was extremely impressive was the dominance in the paint on the rebounds, as Minnesota had 43 total rebounds with 12 offensive rebounds. The rebound battle starts with physicality, and Jesscia Shepard set the tone in the paint with 10 rebounds. Last season, the Lynx needed someone to help with rebounding alongside Phee and Smith, but it seems like Shepard will be that force in the paint. Jessica Shepard gave a lot of energy, and she was able to get them extra opportunities through her hustle. Courtney Williams has been able to get in her point guard bag as she was able to finish the game with 7 assists. The Lynx had 4 players in double digits, which showed a lot of balance in their attack against the Wings.
The Wings were swarmed by the Lynx defense in the 1st half, and they were able to limit Bueckers to 12 points. It was Arike Ogunbowale who was able to get her shot off, finishing with 21 points on 8-20 from the field. The Wings had 4 scorers in double digits as well and forced Minnesota into some turnovers, but it wasn’t enough to hold the Lynx off in their home opener.
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