Lynx battle through injuries, foul trouble to beat New York 74-66

So Tuesday night, the Lynx began their game against New York at Target Center without starters Sylvia Fowles and Layshia Clarendon. Moments into the third quarter, Damiris Dantas left after what appeared to be a sprained ankle. Emergency starters Natalie Achonwa and Crystal Dangerfield found early foul trouble and totaled three points between them. Struggling to make a shot, the Lynx compiled their lowest shooting percentage — 34.8% — of the season.

All this, and they still won.

Getting major minutes from players who haven't played much lately and getting amazing performances from Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier, the Lynx (16-9) beat the Liberty 74-66 for their third consecutive victory in a game they finished with eight healthy players.

"Credit to New York,'' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Our offense was pretty darned ugly. But we've always preached that when your offense isn't getting it done, you have to win anyway. You win with your defense.''

Without one of the best rebounders and defenders in the league in Fowles, the Lynx outrebounded the Liberty and held New York to 23-for-71 shooting, a 32.4% clip that is the lowest by a Lynx opponent this season. Betnijah Laney scored 17 points but needed 15 shots. Sabrina Ionescu scored 17 points but made only four shots and had five turnovers.

The Lynx got 25 points and nine rebounds from McBride, including four free throws down the stretch. Collier, playing despite a cold and fighting plantar fasciitis, scored 21 points, matched her career high with 14 rebounds, had two steals and a block.

And all either wanted to talk about was the bench.

"It was amazing,'' Collier said of a bench that outscored the Liberty reserves 25-6. "They did so great. Exactly what we needed with the injuries we have.''

Aerial Powers — who at one point ripped off the tape job protecting her surgically repaired right thumb — scored 10 points off the bench, including five in an early fourth-quarter burst. Jessica Shepard, who hadn't played in three of the five games before Tuesday, had eight rebounds, including two enormous offensive boards down the stretch.

BOXSCORE: Lynx 74, New York 66

Bridget Carleton got all five of her points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer with 1:11 left that put the Lynx up 68-63. Rachel Banham scored all eight of her points in the second quarter, a 10-minute stretch in which the rest of the team made only two of 10 shots.

On a night when Reeve was forced to play an astounding number of different combinations — Collier as a center, anyone? — the team found a way to win.

"Jess hasn't gotten many reps,'' Reeve said. "But in the pros you can go from being the 11^th player to suddenly playing an entire half. Jess was massive for us.''

At different times, just about every able body was.

"I think, knowing people were out, you have to give even more than on a normal night,'' said Collier, who played 38 minutes. She got a 40-second rest in the second quarter. Reeve sat her for 79 seconds in the fourth quarter when she was afraid her star forward might fall over in exhaustion.

The Lynx were up five late, but Ionescu hit a three-pointer with 1:32 left to make it a two-point game.

At the other end Carleton hit her only three of the night, and it was the start of a 9-3 Lynx finish to the game. Laney hit three free throws with 23.3 seconds left to pull the Liberty back within two, but New York didn't score again. McBride and Powers combined to go 6-for-6 on free throws the rest of the way.

"It was our defense,'' McBride said. "It has become our identity. I have all these visions of rotations, being there for each other. It becomes fun when you can fly around and trust people at that end.''