Pre-Review_WNBA: Minnesota Lynx at Washington Mystics

The Minnesota Lynx visit the Washington Mystics at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in a clash between two physical, high-motor squads. Washington enters hungry to defend its home floor. Minnesota arrives looking to keep its grip near the top of the standings.

1st Quarter

Washington controls the opening tip and immediately tests Minnesota's perimeter containment.

Brittney Sykes initiates. She snakes off a high screen from Shakira Austin, bursts into the lane, absorbs contact at the rim, and finishes a tough scoop layup off the glass.

Minnesota isn't rattled.

Courtney Williams settles the offense. She signals for a high pick-and-roll with Alanna Smith, drives hard right to pull the help defender, then threads a pinpoint bounce pass to a cutting Napheesa Collier. Collier finishes through traffic to make it 6-4 Minnesota with 7:42 on the clock.

The Mystics answer with pace.

Ariel Atkins leaks out in transition, pulls up on the right wing, and splashes a fluid three-pointer. On the next trip down, Sykes picks off an errant pass and leads the break, dropping off a dime to Stefanie Dolson for an easy score inside.

The D.C. crowd gets loud.

Dolson pops out beyond the arc on consecutive possessions, raining in a clean three over the outstretched arm of Smith. Dolson follows it up by outmuscling Minnesota for a putback score: Washington 15, Minnesota 10 at the 4:58 mark.

Minnesota slows the tempo.

Williams feeds Collier on the low block. Collier uses a quick drop-step, elevates, and sinks a soft turnaround jumper over Austin.

Off the bench, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough provides instant offense for the Mystics, knifing through the paint for an acrobatic three-point play.

Minnesota finishes the frame on a flurry.

Kayla McBride gets free on a baseline elevator screen and buries a corner three. Collier cleans up a miss right before the horn.

End of 1st: Minnesota 23, Washington 19

2nd Quarter

Washington turns up the heat to open the second.

Julie Vanloo runs the point. She feeds Aaliyah Edwards for a sweeping hook shot across the paint, then drills a step-back three from 26 feet out.

Sykes caps the surge with a fastbreak finish through contact.

Washington leads, 32-25, at 7:41.

Minnesota calls timeout.

Williams takes over. She attacks the teeth of the Mystics' defense on back-to-back possessions, earning trips to the stripe. Collier goes to work on single coverage, spinning baseline around Austin for an easy deuce.

Smith alters a shot at the rim. Williams collects the loose ball and pulls up from the elbow.

Tie game, 34-34 — 5:12.

Neither team can pull away.

Atkins slices through the defense for a reverse layup. Walker-Kimbrough nails a pull-up from 18 feet.

Minnesota responds.

Bridget Carleton drains a wing three off a skip pass from Collier. Just before the halftime buzzer, Williams isolates near the logo, creates space with a crossover, and buries a step-back jumper.

Halftime: Minnesota 44, Washington 41

3rd Quarter

Minnesota looks to seize control right out of the locker room.

Williams works a slick two-man game with Collier. Pocket pass. Layup.

Smith follows on the next possession by trailing the play and drilling a straight-on three-pointer off a feed from McBride: Minnesota 49, Washington 43 at 8:15.

Washington answers.

Atkins catches fire. She drives baseline for a contested layup, then pulls up on the subsequent possession for a contested corner three that ignites the arena.

The game turns into a defensive grind.

Every basket requires heavy effort.

Sykes steps into a rhythm three from the left wing, then Atkins sinks two free throws to give the Mystics the edge: Washington 57, Minnesota 56 with 4:12 remaining.

Minnesota pushes right back.

Smith swats a driving attempt by Sykes, igniting a fastbreak that ends with Carleton spotting up for a corner triple.

Collier takes control late in the quarter, scoring through contact inside on a physical turnaround hook over Dolson.

End of 3rd: Minnesota 66, Washington 63

4th Quarter

The building is electric. Washington wants the upset.

Vanloo drives and whips a cross-court pass to Karlie Samuelson, who knocks down a catch-and-shoot three.

Sykes snatches a live-ball steal and finishes at the other end.

Washington surges ahead: Washington 71, Minnesota 68 at 7:58.

Minnesota remains poised.

Williams attacks the lane, absorbs contact, and converts a three-point play. On the next trip, Smith rejects Sykes at the rim, leading to a pull-up jumper from Williams.

Every possession matters now.

Walker-Kimbrough jumps a passing lane for a fastbreak score. Collier answers inside with a jump hook. Atkins counters with a fadeaway from the elbow.

Williams drives deep, collapses the defense, and kicks out to Smith, who drills a cold-blooded corner three.

Washington calls timeout trailing 80-77 with 2:46 left.

Out of the huddle, Atkins creates out of the pick-and-roll, drawing two defenders before hitting Vanloo for a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 80-80 with 1:54 remaining.

Minnesota responds. Williams slips a pass to Collier for an easy inside deuce.

Washington counters. Sykes drives hard to the cup, draws a blocking foul on Smith, and sinks both free throws: 82-82 with 47 seconds left.

Minnesota runs the clock.

Williams works off a Collier screen, drives, and kicks out to McBride. McBride fires from deep.

Miss.

Collier battles two Mystics for the offensive board with 18 seconds left and flips it back out to Williams.

Minnesota resets.

With the shot clock winding down, Williams drives left, steps back at 12 feet, and hits a contested mid-range jumper over Sykes with 4.8 seconds on the clock.

Minnesota 84, Washington 82.

Washington advances the ball with its final timeout.

Sykes takes the inbound pass, drives the lane, and kicks out to Atkins on the wing.

Atkins lets fly as the horn sounds.

Off the back iron.

Final: Minnesota 84, Washington 82

Minnesota escapes D.C. with a hard-fought victory. The Mystics pushed the pace and executed down the stretch, but the Lynx's steady execution—anchored by Courtney Williams' late-game shotmaking and Napheesa Collier's relentless presence—proved just enough to close it out.

Notable Stats

• Minnesota Lynx

  
  

  • Napheesa Collier — 29 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists

    
    

  • Courtney Williams — 24 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds

    
    

  • Kayla McBride — 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

    
    

  • Alanna Smith — 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks

    
    

  • Bridget Carleton — 9 points, 3 rebounds

    
    

• Washington Mystics

  
  

  • Ariel Atkins — 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

    
    

  • Brittney Sykes — 21 points, 7 assists, 3 steals

    
    

  • Stefanie Dolson — 11 points, 8 rebounds

    
    

  • Shatori Walker-Kimbrough — 11 points, 3 rebounds

    
    

  • Julie Vanloo — 9 points, 6 assists