With the teams meeting for the third time in 11 days and fourth in 17 there were no secrets between the Lynx and Chicago Sky.
It took more than a quarter for Minnesota to find its footing, but once it did the Lynx pulled away to beat Chicago 91-68 Tuesday in the first game after the All-Star break.
Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier led five Lynx players in double-figures with 19 points apiece. Collier added a team-high eight rebounds and McBride a team-high tying five assists for Minnesota, which improved to 13-0 in regular-season games at Target Center.
In improving to 21-4 overall, the Lynx shot 44.3% and scored 20 points off 22 Sky turnovers. Chicago scored a mere six points off eight Lynx turnovers.
Controlling play early, Chicago led 24-18 after the first quarter, a frame where it had a 14-7 rebounding edge. Interior play is what has keyed the Sky success this season.
In the team’s previous three meetings — Minnesota won two — Chicago held a points in the paint advantage of six, 16 and two points. Outscored 10-6 inside in the first quarter, the Lynx finished with a 36-28 advantage.
Minnesota scored 11 of the first 15 points in the second quarter, six of which started a 24-9 run for a 47-38 halftime lead. The Lynx scored on their final 11 possessions of the half.
Threes by Alanna Smith and McBride followed by three free throws from Courtney Williams and a layup from Collier pushed the lead to 20 early in the third quarter.
Williams finished with 10 points and five assists; Smith 10 points and four rebounds.
Bridget Carleton again found her stroke from deep with three 3-pointers as part of her 11-point outing.
The Sky (7-16) went nearly eight minutes across the second and third quarters without a basket and scored just 12 third-quarter points to trail 70-50.
But at the buzzer, Minnesota’s Natasha Hiedeman fell to the court with a left ankle injury after appearing to get inadvertently tangled with a Chicago player. With a towel over her head, Hiedeman needed assistance getting back to the locker room.
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