Lynx return from layoff in style, beating Storm 78-70

Back in action for the first time in eight days, the Lynx didn't take long to get back up to speed.

Napheesa Collier had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Kayla McBride added 21 points and the Lynx beat the Seattle Storm 78-70 on Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

"Defensively we were pretty solid," coach Cheryl Reeve said also the Lynx improved to 148-7 since 2011 when holding a team to under 40% shooting, as the Storm shot 36.8%. "I was particularly pleased with our rebounding. Particularly Dorka [Juhász]. She really gave us that."

Collier shot 7-for-15 from the floor and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line, playing 34 minutes as she did not commit a foul.

Tiffany Mitchell, starting for the injured Lindsay Allen, added 14 points. Rookie Juhász scored seven points but led the team with 12 rebounds and also had four assists for the Lynx (15-16).

"She got the hard rebounds tonight," Reeve said of Juhász. "She was able to go in there, she was willing to dig them out. Go get the hard ones. and she did it at both ends. those two on the offensive end were really big for us."

The Lynx surged ahead in Friday's game with a run at the end of the first quarter and gradually pulled away on from there as they beat Seattle for the third time in as many meetings this season.

This game wasn't quite as dramatic as their previous visit to the Pacific Northwest, when Collier hit a buzzer-beating jumper to give her team a 99-97 overtime victory on June 29. That spoiled a career-high 41 points for Seattle's Jewell Loyd, who entered Friday night as the WNBA's leading scorer at 24.1 points per game.

Friday night was a different story for the 5-11 guard. Loyd — who shot only 4-for-18 in a loss to the Lynx at Target Center on June 27 — missed her first four shots, made a three-pointer, then missed her next six before breaking the skid in the second half. Loyd finished with 15 points on 5-for-19 shooting. Sami Whitcomb led Seattle with 23 points.

"I thought our defense was really good. we were flying around for each other," Collier said. "KMac did a great job on Jewell, not letting her get started."

Added McBride: "We were locked in from the beginning. It's a collective effort with a player like that [Loyd]. You can't let 'em get going."

The Lynx trailed 16-11 in the first quarter but closed the period on a 12-2 run, with Collier hitting five consecutive free throws before McBride made a three-pointer with 29 seconds left in the quarter.

Seattle pulled within 28-27 early in the second quarter before the Lynx again went on a run, this time scoring the next 11 points, starting with a pullup jumper and a three-pointer by McBride. Collier then made a layup, a floater and another layup off an assist from McBride. Seattle again pulled within two before the Lynx closed the half on a 7-2 run, with Mitchell scoring five points, for a 46-39 lead at halftime.

"She feels a tremendous responsibility," Reeve said of Mitchell. "We talked for the better part of the week on what we need from that position, trying to balance her scoring with what the team needs."

In the third quarter, the Lynx outscored Seattle 18-11, holding the Storm to 5-for-18 shooting in the period. Seattle got within single digits late, and with 59 seconds left McBride was called for a flagrant-1 foul, giving Seattle two free throws and the ball. But after Whitcomb hit two free throws, Loyd missed a three-pointer, and time soon ran out on the Storm after that.

The Lynx remain tied with Washington for sixth place in the WNBA standings, although the Lynx hold the tiebreaker. They also improved to 5-11 when failing to score 80 points and 6-13 when failing to shoot 45% from the floor — the Lynx shot 43.8%.

Staff writer Kent Youngblood contributed to this report. The Star Tribune did not a writer to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.