Lynx sign center Elissa Cunane and guard Kamiah Smalls with Achonwa and Jefferson sidelined

Lynx update: C Elissa Cunane was signed to a hardship contract Tuesday because C Natalie Achonwa (right hamstring strain) and G Moriah Jefferson (left quadriceps strain) will be sidelined indefinitely. The 6-5 Cunane was the 17th pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft by Seattle out of North Carolina State, where she was a two-time ACC tournament MVP. ... G Kamiah Smalls was also added on a hardship deal. She was the 28th pick in the 2020 draft by Indiana out of James Madison and played in seven games for the Fever that season. She played in Poland during the winter. ... The Lynx are 2-7 and starting a three-game road trip. They have won four consecutive games against Atlanta dating to 2020. The Lynx won all three meetings last year, including both in Minneapolis. Two of the three games were decided by two points. ... The Lynx, who are 1-4 on the road, will play back-to-back games at New York on June 5 and June 7.

Atlanta update: Tanisha Wright, who played for the Lynx in in 2018, is in her first season as the Dream coach. The Dream, which was 8-24 last season, improved to 5-3 on Sunday with an 81-54 victory over Phoenix at home. The 28-point margin of victory was Atlanta's largest since defeating the Los Angeles Sparks by 30 in 2015. ... Rookie F Rhyne Howard, the first overall pick in this year's WNBA draft, leads the team in scoring (16.9 points per game). ... Former Hopkins standout Nia Coffey is averaging 6.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. ... G Tiffany Hayes, who suffered a knee injury overseas, is out.