Napheesa Collier returned with a 26-point, seven-rebound, six-assist effort, including a couple huge baskets in overtime and the Lynx scored 10 of the final 12 points to win 96-92 in Atlanta.
Kayla McBride finished with 18 points, including making all six free throws, Courtney Williams responded with 16 points and eight assists, and Bridget Carleton had a season-high four 3-pointers as part of a 14-point outing.
Collier, who missed the last two games with lower back soreness, came up clutch late.
Down by four in overtime, Williams scored on a pullup jumper and, after an Atlanta miss, a perfect pass from Williams set Collier up for a layup to even things back up with 1:45 to play.
The Lynx tied a season high with 30 assists.
A turnaround, fadeaway jumper by Collier gave the Lynx a lead with 1:11 left in the extra session.
Atlanta though they’d have a chance to tie it when Alanna Smith was whistled for a foul with 20.5 seconds left; however, the call was overturned after a lengthy video review. A pair of McBride free throws put the Lynx up by four.
The Dream scored inside at the other end, but McBride made a couple more from the charity stripe with 13.6 seconds left.
The Lynx (13-2) tied a season high with 13 makes from deep and avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Long-distance shooting is what kept Minnesota in the game because the Dream (10-6) were able to impose their will in the paint, scoring a season-high 52 points in close and had a 40-28 rebounding advantage. Atlanta was 22 of 27 from the free-throw line. Minnesota was 17 of 18.
Jordin Canada split a pair of Lynx defenders for a driving layup with 3:49 in regulation to play and the Dream, who trailed by as many as 17 in the second quarter, had its biggest lead at 82-75.
A McBride triple got the Lynx within 84-82 with 1:29 left. Brionna Jones (putback) and Collier (layup) swapped baskets and Collier added a couple free throws with 21 ticks left.
The Dream had one last try to win it in regulation, but smothering defense by McBride forced Rhyne Howard into a desperation, off-balance long jumper.
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