Courtney Williams almost couldn’t miss with her mid-range jumper late Wednesday, and she ran the offense, especially the pick and roll, with aplomb.

With the Lynx for less than 36 hours, Myisha Hines-Allen made quite a first impression, too.

Shooting a season-high 59.4% from the field, including 57.9% on 3-pointers, Minnesota won 98-87 at Las Vegas in a game featuring the top two teams in the Western Conference.

The teams meet again at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Target Center.

Williams led the Lynx with a season-high 22 points, tied a season-high with 10 assists and added seven rebounds as Minnesota showcased its depth.

Minnesota had five players in double figures, led by 23 from Napheesa Collier. She also had eight defensive deflections and seven rebounds.

Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) shoots around Las Vegas Aces center Megan Gustafson (17) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Bridget Carleton had 12 points, Kayla McBride 11 and Alanna Smith overcame early foul trouble to finish with 10 points. The Lynx had 28 assists on its season-high 38 makes.

“People got their opportunities and they made shots,” said coach Cheryl Reeve.

Down 11 early in the fourth quarter, a pair of baskets by Tiffany Hayes got the Aces within six, but out of a timeout, Minnesota (20-8) scored the next eight points to unofficially secure the win.

Collier hit a jumper, McBride scored on a feed from Williams, Collier hit another jumper and then Williams sank one to make it 88-74. After an Aces basket, Williams fed Collier for a 3-pointer.

“Our biggest thing was just making sure we answered their runs, and that’s exactly what we did,” Williams said.

Las Vegas (17-10) got within eight with 1:37 left, but Williams calmly stroked a 3-point dagger.

Smith, the starting center, picked up three fouls in the first quarter, which could have been an early game-turning moment.

Enter Hines-Allen, who joined the Lynx in a Tuesday trade with Washington. She finished with eight points and four rebounds in 13 minutes, 42 seconds, but her inside presence is something Minnesota has missed at times this season.

“She was just playing basketball. It was not complicated. We gave her a few things,” Reeve said. “… I thought her teammates really talked her through some situations.”

Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 26 points and Kelsey Plum added 20, but A’ja Wilson, the league’s leading scorer, finished with just 15 points, unable to consistently take over on the offensive end.

The first quarter was unofficially a shooting clinic with Minnesota making 66.7% of its shots for a 26-25 lead. Las Vegas shot 62.5%.

Minnesota shot 62.5% in quarter two and, bolstered by a 10-0 mid-quarter run, led 54-46 at the break. The Lynx, the league’s top 3-point shooting team, made five of seven.

A 19-year-old college student from McCleod County was crowned the 71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way during a coronation ceremony on Wednesday night, the eve of the 2024 Minnesota State Fair.

19-year-old college student from McCleod County Rachel Visser was crowned the 71st Princess Kay of the Milky Way during a coronation ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, the eve of the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. (Courtesy photo)

Rachel Visser is the daughter of Barry and Shannon Visser, of Hutchinson, and attends the University of Minnesota.

For the next year, Visser will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 1,800 Minnesota dairy farm families.

Nine county dairy princesses from throughout Minnesota competed for the Princess Kay title at the State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights.

Katie Ketchum of Altura, representing Winona County, and Grace Woitalla of Avon, representing Stearns County, were selected as runners-up.

Visser, Ketchum and Woitalla were also named scholarship winners.

Mackenzie Moline of St. Peter, representing Nicollet County, was named Miss Congeniality.

Princess Kay candidates are judged on their knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm. Midwest Dairy and its farmer members sponsor the pageant program.

Visser’s first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building for nearly eight hours to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter on the first two days of the State Fair, which begins Thursday.

Litchfield artist and butter sculptor Gerry Kulzer will be carving Princess Kay and the finalists.

The other 2024 finalists are scheduled to have their likenesses sculpted as follows:

Saturday, Aug. 24: Miranda Schroeder, Caledonia, representing Houston County
Sunday, Aug. 25: Grace Woitalla, Avon, representing Stearns County
Monday, Aug. 26: McKenna Wright, Hutchinson, representing McLeod County
Wednesday, Aug. 28: Selena Corona, Saint Joseph, representing Stearns County
Thursday, Aug. 29: Katie Ketchum, Altura, representing Winona County
Friday, Aug. 30: Katelyn Welgraven, Ruthton, representing Pipestone County
Saturday, Aug. 31: Mackenzie Moline, Saint Peter, representing Nicollet County
Sunday, Sept. 1: Afton Nelson, Owatonna, representing Steele County

Princess Kay and the other finalists will make appearances throughout the State Fair near the butter sculpture booth in the Dairy Building.

The Princess Kay Facebook and Instagram accounts will provide regular updates and photos of each completed butter sculpture.

The State Fair concludes on Labor Day, Sept. 2.

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The versatility of edge rusher Jihad Ward has been on display from the moment he stepped on the field with the Vikings.

In fact, trying to keep track of Ward in practice is tough, as he’s proven himself capable of lining up in so many different spots. You’ll turn away after watching Ward rush off the edge for a few snaps, then look back and see him on the interior of the defensive line lining up as the nose tackle.

It’s been a match made in heaven with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

“That’s what Flo likes and that’s what I’m here to do,” Ward said. “Whatever personnel he wants, I’m here to dominate.”

After being selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Ward has bounced around, spending time with the Cowboys, Colts, Ravens, Jaguars and Giants. He signed with the Vikings in free agency, and while Ward might not have a defined position, that seems to be by design as Flores uses him as the ultimate chess piece.

“He’s got versatility,” Flores said. “He’s played inside. He’s played outside. He’s played really everywhere on the defensive line. He tells me to let him drop every once in a while, so there’s some back and forth there. He’s smart. He’s tough. He’s competitive. There’s a lot to like about him. I’m glad he’s on our team.”

The feelings are mutual for Ward as he adjusts to his new surroundings.

“Just taking advantage of all my opportunities,” Ward said. “That’s all I’m doing.”

Nwangwu earns praise

The speed of running back Kene Nwangwu is always going to be his calling card.

He’s among the fastest players in the NFL when he gets in the open field, and while he’s been used almost exclusively as a kickoff return specialist to this point in his career, he’s shown some flashes out of the backfield during the exhibition slate.

“There are some speed guys that it’s always they just keep trying to bounce it,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “He knows when to put his foot in the ground and be physical, and it was good to see that.”

Though it’s unlikely that Nwangwu will ever be the focal point for the Vikings, he could carve out a niche behind fellow running backs Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler.

Thompson waived

After serving as an ace on special teams last season, cornerback NaJee Thompson has been waived by the Vikings with an injury designation. He’s been dealing with a knee injury that has forced him to miss the duration of training camp. The Vikings also waived offensive lineman Jeremy Flax with an injury designation.

In a pair of corresponding moves, the Vikings claimed tight end Neal Johnson and signed rookie offensive lineman Matt Cindric. It’s a long shot that either player makes the team. They were likely brought in for some depth ahead of the preseason finale between the Vikings and the Eagles on Saturday in Philadelphia.

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SAN DIEGO — It took the Twins a few innings to break through against Padres starter Matt Waldron. But once they did, it seemed like they didn’t want to wait any longer.

The Twins ambushed Waldron in the fourth inning, collecting seven straight hits that produced just as many runs in their 11-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday evening at Petco Park.

Four of those seven hits came on the first pitch of an at-bat. Another two hits came on the second pitch. Only Matt Wallner’s three-run home run — on the fourth pitch of his at-bat — that provided the dagger for the Twins lasted more than two pitches.

The seven-run inning started with an Edouard Julien hit — one of four on the day for him — and also featured hits from Christian Vázquez, Austin Martin (double), Willi Castro (double), Trevor Larnach and Royce Lewis before Wallner cleared the bases by hitting a ball 410 feet out to right field.

It was an encouraging response from the Twins, who suffered a crushing defeat the night before and were on a three-game losing streak.

While the offense hammered out 18 hits, including a career-high four from Larnach, starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson did his part, too.

Woods Richardson slogged through a 29-pitch first inning, allowing a single and a pair of walks to load the bases, but he worked his way out of the jam by getting National League Rookie of the Year candidate Jackson Merrill to fly out and then settled in nicely.

Woods Richardson ended up making it through five innings, throwing a career-high 101 pitches. He gave up just three hits, including a home run to Donovan Solano in his final inning of work, and struck out seven.

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