Lynx forward Napheesa Collier must be considered the favorite for this season’s WNBA MVP award.
On Friday, she again got plenty of help.
Collier finished with 25 points and nine rebounds, Courtney Williams added 23 points and five assists, and the Lynx set a season high for points in dominating Las Vegas 109-78.
Winners of four in a row overall, the Lynx (22-4) improved to 14-0 at Target Center.
Bridget Carleton tied season highs with 14 points and six rebounds. Kayla McBride added 13 points. Carleton, McBride and Williams each made three 3-pointers. Jessica Shepard had 10 points and a season-best 13 rebounds off the bench.
Minnesota shot 54.4% from the field and grabbed a season-high 48 rebounds.
A’ja Wilson, the league’s reigning MVP, led the Aces (12-13) with 15 points — her season average is 22.3 — and Jackie Young contributed 14, but the swarming Lynx defense held Las Vegas to 38% from the field.
Before the game, coach Cheryl Reeve said Minnesota would be OK if Wilson scored 20 points, provided the Lynx did a good defensively elsewhere. The Lynx’s 94.5 defensive rating is best in the league.
Doing the dirty work and getting hit on drives, Collier was 10 of 13 from the free-throw line. As a team, Minnesota set highs in free throws made (25) and attempted (38). Minnesota was 16 for 23 in the third quarter alone.
Collier had six points, including a 3-pointer, and Williams hit a triple in a 12-1 run late in the second quarter for a 51-35 halftime lead. Entering the game with a league-high 233 treys, the Lynx made seven in the opening 20 minutes.
A Williams jumper and three Collier free throws — one a technical against Aces coach Becky Hammon — pushed the Lynx lead to 62-41. Four Shepard free throws and a pair from McBride and Natisha Hiedeman made it 83-61 late in the third quarter.
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