Natisha Hiedeman sparks fourth-quarter Lynx rally vs. Atlanta Dream

Wednesday’s 86-79 matinee win over Atlanta was not, for the Lynx, a beautiful game. But if you listened to them afterwards, it could be proof this can still be a beautiful season.

But we’ll all have to wait a month to find out.

The Lynx scuffled for most of three quarters against a Dream team living through, now, a nightmare of an eight-game losing streak. Playing for a fifth time without star and about-to-be Olympian Napheesa Collier, their offense started and stopped; their defense didn’t stop enough.

And then Natisha Hiedeman took over.

Off the bench, Hiedeman scored a season-high 18 points. Entering the game having made just seven three-pointers all season, she went 3-for-8 from behind the arc before 15,013 fans at Target Center. When the Lynx needed a boost late, she scored 16 of her 18 points in Minnesota’s 30-19 fourth quarter, which ended with the Lynx out-scoring Atlanta 30-13 over the final 9:15.

“There she is,” said Kayla McBride, looking over at Hiedeman after the game. McBride scored a game-high 30, made four of eight threes; her 25 points through three quarter kept the Lynx in a game that had 13 lead changes and 15 ties. “I was just watching her do her thing,” McBride continued. She’s so experienced. She has played in the finals. She’s been in this league. She’s a hooper.”

BOXSCORE: Lynx 86, Atlanta 79

And the Lynx? They are 17-8 into the Olympic break, having gone 3-2 without Collier. They are tied with Seattle for fourth in the WNBA, but hold third place thanks to winning the season series.

And if it got more difficult when Collier was lost with a left foot injury? They Lynx got through it, ending a two-game losing streak in the process.

“It’s a great sign we gutted this one out,’’ coach Cheryl Reeve said. “A great sign.”

Because of the way the team did it, with contributions from much of the lineup. Hiedeman had her best game with the Lynx. Center Alanna Smith, about to join the Australian Olympic team, had her first double-double with the team (13 points and 10 rebounds and was a plus-8 in the deflection battle. Bridget Carleton, about to play for Team Canada in Paris, had a modest nine points, but in the fourth quarter she had a big three, an impressive block on Rhyne Howard and a key rebound.

After scoring a season-low 33 first-half points, the Lynx scored 53 in the second. After Atlanta made 22 of its first 40 shots, the Dream went 7-for-19 the rest of the way.

But the big star was Hiedeman. After Howard (16 of Atlanta’s 52 bench points) opened the fourth with a three-pointer to put the Dream (7-17) up seven, Hiedeman hit a three. That got her going. She hit another three moments later. But mid-way through the quarter she really got going. She scored seven points in an 11-2 Lynx run that took them from two down to up seven on Hiedeman’s drive with 1:26 left.

“Everything was just really going my way,” Hiedeman said. “My teammates were finding me with the ball, we were just playing together. Like KMac said, anyone can step up. Tonight it was my night.”

Reeve has said many times she and her staff felt the Lynx could be top-four in the WNBA, in the top rung of teams. Despite playing without Collier for a stretch, that’s exactly where they are. McBride — who will play against a Team USA that includes Collier and coached by Reeve in this weekend’s All-Star game — said she couldn’t remember a time when she needed a break more.

“But we want to be able to hit the ground running when our Olympians come back, when coach comes back. We want to be ready.’’

Reeve agreed, with a caveat. She knows the team’s success — and its place in the standings — are fragile.

“But to this point we sort of had our sights set on being one of the top teams and we’ve done that,” she said. “We have to see if we can improve, and see how we can make this a really beautiful season.”