DEPTH CHARGE - Pioneer Press

LYNX 79, MERCURY 66

DEPTH CHARGE

Lynx use balanced attack to top Phoenix, hit all-star break at WNBA-leading 20-4

Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, left, defends against Phoenix star Alyssa Thomas during the second quarter of Wednesday’s matinee at Target Center.

The Lynx celebrate Wednesday during the third quarter of their victory over Phoenix, which put them at 20-4 atop the WNBA standings heading into the all-star break.

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By Mike Cook

Special to the Pioneer Press

Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams will be representing the Lynx on the court in Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game. Coach Cheryl Reeve will be leading Team Collier.

But the Lynx showed Wednesday afternoon they are far more than a trio of top players.

Minnesota ended a stretch of nine games in 16 days and 11 in 20 with a 79-66 home win over Phoenix at Target Center.

At the unofficial midway point of the season, Minnesota is 20-4, four games ahead of New York (14-6) and Phoenix (15-7) for WNBA’s best record. Only the 2017 championship squad (21-3) was better through 24 games.

The Lynx are 12-0 in regular-season games at Target Center. The Commissioner’s Cup loss to Indiana does not count in the standings.

Named to the all-star team Tuesday, McBride led four Lynx players in double-figure scoring with 18 points.

But this win was far more than just K-Mac. Every player scored.

“It’s OK for our players to say how tired they were going into today. … We needed a team win today, and we got it,” said Reeve, who earned her 350th career victory. “You got to be tough physically and mentally against these guys and collectively we were very locked in. We had not checked out for all-star break yet.”

Williams had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Alanna Smith again found long-distance success making all three 3-point attempts as part of an 11-point, five rebound performance.

Collier had just 10 points and five rebounds, but possibly her biggest contributions were in ways that do not show up in a box score.

The 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year was largely responsible for defending Alyssa Thomas, who scored a career-high 29 points on a career-high 24 shot attempts a week ago in Arizona, when Minnesota lost 79-71.

Hounded much of the day, Thomas finished 5 for 16 from the field for 12 points.

“Props to Phee. To take that assignment, we know she’s the best player on the court, and she sacrificed her offense to be able to help our team get the win by playing the defense she did on A.T.,” said Jessica Shepard. “A..T is a very physically gifted player, but I think she was able to frustrate her a bit with her length.”

Shepard provided 17 quality minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points and eight rebounds while occasionally defending Thomas.

“We like to try to find ways to have her score more. She got good minutes today and made the most of them. The game came easy for her and, then just rebounding-wise, Jess just hustled. She was aggressive. On both ends Jess was special today,” Reeve said.

Shepard’s tip of a Natisha Hiedeman miss at the third-quarter buzzer capped an 18-8 run to give the Lynx a 64-49 lead, upping the excitement for the 16,421 in attendance, including thousands of screaming, towel-waving youth for the annual Camp Day game.

Phoenix was held to just 35.7% from the field. Minnesota is now 173-9 since 2011 when holding an opponent below 40%.