MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Lynx continued their red-hot start to the WNBA season, improving to 5-0 with a hard-fought 82-77 victory over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night. The win came in a high-stakes early-season battle between two Western Conference frontrunners.
Courtney Williams led the charge for Minnesota with a game-high 23 points, showing her scoring versatility throughout the contest. Napheesa Collier added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while also contributing five steals and five assists in a well-rounded performance.
Minnesota welcomed back Kayla McBride, who made her season debut after missing the first four games for personal reasons. She didn’t miss a beat, finishing with 15 points, including four clutch free throws in the final seconds to seal the win.
Alanna Smith also played a key role, scoring 16 points and hitting a crucial 3-pointer late in the game.
The Lynx came out of the gates firing, hitting six of their first seven shots and jumping to a quick 14-2 lead. They ended the first quarter with a commanding 26-11 advantage and held a 39-29 lead at the half.
Seattle, however, clawed their way back into the game. Dominique Malonga’s basket to open the fourth quarter brought the Storm within one, 54-53. But just when the momentum seemed to shift, Minnesota responded with back-to-back 3-pointers from Williams and Smith to push their lead to six.
Seattle stayed within striking distance thanks to strong efforts from Gabby Williams (20 points), Skylar Diggins (18), Nneka Ogwumike (11), and Erica Wheeler (10). Wheeler hit a late 3-pointer to bring the Storm within three, but it wasn’t enough as Collier’s free throws and a late Seattle turnover sealed the result.