Lynx look to bounce back against Dream before Olympic break

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Opening bell: Heading into a monthlong Olympic break, the Lynx (16-8) aim to snap their two-game skid with a win over the slumping Dream (7-16). Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier will likely miss her fifth consecutive game because of left-foot plantar fascia pain as she prepares to head to the Olympics with the United States. The Lynx have won both matchups against the Dream this season. The first was a 97-79 victory in Atlanta in May, with a 31-point performance from All-Star guard Kayla McBride, who said Tuesday that she will compete in this weekend’s three-point contest. The second win, 68-55 at home in June, saw the Lynx shoot their lowest field-goal percentage of the season (.355) at the time and rely heavily on their defense to clinch the win.

With Minnesota 2-2 in its Collier-less games, Alanna Smith, Bridget Carleton, Courtney Williams and McBride have all taken turns leading the Lynx’s scoring.

“We’re missing a big factor in Phee not being on the floor,” Smith said. “And then I think we’re getting away from what we’ve been doing defensively previously, and being able to do that for 40 minutes as well is really important.”

Watch her: All-Star guard Allisha Gray has led the Dream in scoring in five of their past eight games, averaging a team-best 15.9 points per game this season. In Atlanta’s last trip to Target Center, center Tina Charles posted a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in a battle with Collier.

Injuries: For the Lynx, Collier is listed as questionable (left foot), and guard Olivia Époupa is out (right thigh). The Dream’s last Minnesota outing saw guard Rhyne Howard exit because of a left ankle injury, and she has not played since, though she’s listed as available for Wednesday’s game. Jordin Canada (right finger), Lorela Cubaj (personal) and Laeticia Amihere (international commitment) are all out for Atlanta.

Forecast: If there’s any team that the Lynx should be able to right the ship against, it’s the Dream, heading into Wednesday’s game on a seven-game losing streak. But that streak has included games against top teams such as the Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces. The Lynx will have to spread the wealth on both sides of the ball to end the first half of the season with a win.

“We started off the season on such a high note,” McBride said. “We knew that there was going to be some sort of adversity. Of course, we want to minimize it at all costs. I think it’s just our ability to bounce back. And that’s the beauty of our league. We had a tough game at home, and we get another opportunity to do it again tomorrow.”