Kayla McBride scores 25, Lynx win fifth consecutive game

On Wednesday, back home at Target Center, Kayla McBride's remarkable roll continued.

This is a good thing if you're a Lynx fan. Because against an athletic Dallas team that gave the Lynx fits for much of the first two-plus quarters, the Lynx needed all of this:

Twenty-five points, five rebounds, five assists and some harassing defense of Wings star Arike Ogunbowale in Minnesota's come-from-behind 85-79 victory.

"Her performance the last three games has been freaking amazing," Lynx center Sylvia Fowles said.

That puts it nicely. For the first time in her career, McBride has scored 20 or more points in three straight games for a total of 75. For the third straight game she made nine of 13 shots. She did it a little differently this time. Run off the three-point line, McBride scored in the lane, from midrange, at the free-throw line.

And that's just the half of it.

On the other end she guarded Ogunbowale into a 5-for-15 (1-for-5 on threes), three-turnover, one-technical performance.

"It's really exciting to coach a player that is so passionate and locked in," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said of McBride, who played all 20 second-half minutes. "She wasn't just a shooter today. So much more than a shooter. She was a scorer."

The Lynx (10-7) have won five straight games since a one-sided loss in Dallas June 19. But it took some work. Difficulties on offense and too many open shots for Dallas allowed the Wings to build an eight-point halftime lead.

In the opening moments of the third quarter, Dallas pushed that lead to 11. Dallas was still up nine when Ogunbowale drove for a layup with 6:59 left in the quarter.

But Minnesota outscored Dallas 39-24 over the final 16:59 of the game. Within five after three quarters, the Lynx opened the fourth on a 10-2 run capped by Bridget Carleton's three-pointer to go up three with 6:03 left. Minnesota never trailed again, but it was close the rest of the way. Fowles scored four and McBride three as the Lynx ended the game on a 7-2 run over the final 2:26.

Fowles finished with 15 points and 10 boards. Carleton, Napheesa Collier, Damiris Dantas and Layshia Clarendon all scored 10 points, with Collier's all coming in the second half.

BOXSCORE: Lynx 85, Dallas 79

After trying to force the ball to Fowles in the first half — and turning the ball over 11 times in the process — the Lynx spread the ball around and turned it over just twice in the second.

And the defense took over. Dallas shot 13-for-35 in the second half, making just one of 11 three-pointers.

"We had to make them put the ball on the floor," Reeve said. "We had to get 'em off the line. Make things difficult for [Marina] Mabrey and Ogunbowale. I thought we did that."

Allisha Gray led Dallas with 13 points off the bench. Satou Sabally had 12. Ogunbowale had 11 and needed 15 shots to get there.

Minnesota outscored Dallas 46-32 in the paint and 20-6 on the break.

McBride has now scored 26, 24 and 25 points in her last three games. For all of that, it was defense she was talking about Wednesday. McBride has guarded Diana Taurasi twice and Ogunbowale in her last three games. Those two went a combined 9-for-38 with three technical fouls.

"I know what it's like to be a scorer," McBride said. "I know when you're able to be in someone's face, it can be disturbing, disrupting. You're talking about two of the best scorers there, ever. I enjoy the challenge."