With 7 minutes and 13 seconds left in the third quarter of Thursday's game at Target Center, the visiting Los Angeles Sparks held a nine-point lead over a Lynx team that, shorthanded again, was struggling to score.
Strong defense rallies Lynx past Los Angeles
Los Angeles shot only 1-for-14 in the fourth quarter.
September 3, 2021 at 6:25AM
Some of that didn't change. For the second consecutive game, with Sylvia Fowles back but with Layshia Clarendon still out and Damiris Dantas done for the season, the Lynx could not find an offensive rhythm.
But that defense …
Over the final 17:13 of the game the Sparks made three field goals and scored 12 points. In the fourth quarter the Sparks were held to four points on 1-for-14 shooting as the Lynx, flying around, helping out, communicating, shut them down.
The result: 66-57 Lynx, their fourth straight win and 12th in 14 games.
"That's a lot of stops,'' said Aerial Powers. "That's a lot of hard work. The thing about defense is it takes everybody.''
Offense? Just enough. Fowles, on Tuesday named Western Conference player of the month for August, returned, the sore shoulder that held her out of Thursday's win over New York bandaged and padded, and scored 15 points with 17 rebounds. Kayla McBride scored 17 with six boards. Powers, getting closer to being herself in her third game back since thumb surgery, scored 13, including a key three-pointer with 3:11 left that put the Lynx up five.
With Dantas out with a Lisfranc injury in her right foot and Clarendon out at least until next week, the Lynx (16-7) shot just 34.5 %, making just seven of 22 threes. Napheesa Collier, the focus of the L.A. defense, was held to five points. Take away Fowles' 7-for-10 performance and the rest of the Lynx shot 13-for-48 (27.1 %).
"Right now we're struggling, without Layshia, without Damiris,'' Reeve said. "We'll have to find our way with that. We're not rhythmic with what we're doing, a little more unsure.''
But that defense…
In their past three games, Lynx opponents are shooting 70-for-206 (34 %). Minnesota — which before the game learned it had clinched an 11th straight trip to the playoffs — has forced back-to-back season lows in shooting by an opponent. Thursday the Sparks set season lows for a Lynx opponent in points, points in a half (16 in the second), field goals made 19 and shooting percentage (31.1). Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler each scored 16 for the Sparks (10-18), who lost their fifth straight.
"The defense did a really good job in the second half,'' Fowles said. "In the first we were discombobulated a little bit.''
Things changed. After not getting many touches early, Fowles had nine second-half points. McBride has now scored 42 points the past two games, making 13 of 14 free throws. But again Thursday it was others who made the key plays.
Bridget Carleton, who started for Dantas, got her only points when she hit a three-pointer with 3:55 left to break a 56-all tie and put the Lynx up for good. Moments later Powers missed a shot but went to the floor after the loose ball, which the Lynx got. Then she got up and hit a three of her own with 3:11 left and the Lynx were up five. Powers scored nine of her 13 points in the second half.
"I felt finally I wasn't thinking as much as I have been,'' Powers said. "It will come. I hadn't played in eight weeks. It felt good to go out and not think, just play.''
Don’t be surprised if you spot the WNBA standout jamming at Twin Cities concerts.
