Minnesota’s starters collectively had a poor offensive night Tuesday, yet the Lynx bench almost rescued the team.
Starting guard Courtney Williams overcame a slow start to finish with a team-high 17 points, and Natisha Hiedeman added 16 off the bench. But the Lynx fell 85-75 to the Liberty in New York.
Lynx reserves outscored the starters 38-37 with DiJonai Carrington and Maria Kliundikova each adding 11 points. None of Minnesota’s other four starters had more than six points.
Jessica Shepard had 10 rebounds and Alanna Smith had nine rebounds plus two blocks to set a franchise record with 69 this season, surpassing the 68 by Vanessa Hayden in 2005.
The league leader in assists at 23.4 per game, the Lynx had a season-low 10 on their 29 baskets. Minnesota was just 6 of 22 (27.3%) on 3-point tries. It leads the WNBA at 36.7% from deep.
“I didn’t think we had the recognition as far as some of their pressure points, getting rid of it quick, getting pass-pass combos. We were one pass and try to make something happen, so we were a little impatient. It’s not like us,” said coach Cheryl Reeve.
All five New York starters ended with double figures, led by 22 from Jonquel Jones, who also grabbed 10 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu had 17 points and 11 assists.
“Their starters played great, and ours did not,” said Reeve, whose team was down by 12 points early. “Courtney got going eventually, but she was a big part of why we didn’t get off to a very good start (zero points and two turnovers in the first quarter). Our bench came in and really kind of buoyed the ship for us.”
“Being a role player, there ain’t nothing wrong with that. You just got to take pride in what you’re doing. I think our team, especially the bench, takes great pride in what we do,” Hiedeman said.
Playing without Napheesa Collier (ankle) for the fifth straight game — although she was listed as “doubtful” vs. “out” — the Lynx saw their six-game winning streak come to an end and fell to the Liberty for the only time in four meetings this season.
The contest ends three consecutive games against New York in a 10-day span.
“We knew that they were going to come out, hit us in our mouth. We battled back,” Williams said.
Down by 12 midway through the third quarter, Williams drained a contested triple over Jones in the waning seconds of the frame to get the Lynx within 66-60.
Williams scored on a mid-range jumper with 4:06 left, and it was 77-72 Liberty. A 3-pointer by Hiedeman got the Lynx within 79-75 nearly two minutes later, but Minnesota did not score again.
Williams missed a pair of jumpers, looking skyward in disbelief after the second with 1:07 left. Ionescu grabbed an offensive rebound and completed a four-point play with 33.8 seconds left to ice the win.
This is the first game in a stretch where the Lynx play four games in six days in four different cities. Minnesota is at Atlanta on Thursday and Indiana on Friday before facing the Indiana Fever at Target Center on Sunday.
Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty reacts with Kennedy Burke #22 after scoring a three-point shot in the final minute of the game against the Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center on Aug. 19, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Liberty won 85-75. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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