Courtney Williams bounced back with a 23-point performance, Alanna Smith added 16 points and seven rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx improved to 5-0 by beating the Seattle Storm 82-77 Tuesday night at Target Center.
Kayla McBride, an all-star guard who missed the first four games for personal reasons, provided an early spark at both ends of the floor and was clutch with four late free throws to secure the win. She finished with 15 points, including a trio of treys, in 30 minutes.
Napheesa Collier finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five first-quarter steals. It’s her first time scoring fewer than 20 points this season.
It wasn’t always pretty, but a win is a win.
The Lynx led by double digits early, but midgame offensive inconsistency, especially from outside, allowed Seattle to stay within striking distance for much of the second half.
Williams missed all 11 shots she took in Friday’s win over Connecticut but was not shy about letting it fly. Nine of her points came in the final 10 minutes, including back-to-back jumpers for a 76-69 lead with 2:16 left.
She was 10 for 18 from the field and added five rebounds and four assists.
McBride made four free throws in the final 23 seconds, and Collier added a pair with 11.5 seconds to play.
Gabby Williams led Seattle (3-2) with 20 points, and Skylar Diggins had 18.
Seattle, which had 10 first-half turnovers against an aggressive Lynx defense that led to 17 Minnesota points, had just four in the second half.
The quintet of Collier, Smith, Bridget Carleton, McBride and Williams was last season’s most successful starting group, with the Lynx going 23-6 in such games.
Early on they played just like it was old times, as the Lynx raced out to a 26-11 lead after one quarter, making 11 of 19 shots and converting seven Storm turnovers into 13 points.
An 8-0 Seattle run got the Storm within seven before a Smith trey made it a 39-29 game at the break.
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