After coming an eyelash away from winning the WNBA title last year, the Lynx have begun this season with a giant chip on their shoulder. So far, no one has been able to knock it off.

Natisha Heideman scored 13 of her 18 points in the first half on Tuesday as the Lynx overcame a slow start to run their season-opening winning streak to eight with an 88-65 victory over the Phoenix Mercury at Target Center.“Coming into this season, we have an agenda,” said center Alanna Smith, who scored 13 points, dished out six assists and blocked three shots on the night. “We want to prove we’re the best team in this league. I think we’re doing a pretty good job of that so far.”

Napheesa Collier posted her fourth straight double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kayla McBride had 13 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

Only eight teams in WNBA history have started a season 8-0. Four of them called Target Center their home. The 2016 Lynx hold the record with a 13-0 start, but this year’s team is playing like it wants to blow past that mark.

“We’ve got some continuity,” said coach Cheryl Reeve, citing new coaches and revised rosters throughout the league. “I do think that’s been a bit of an advantage as we’ve started the season. And so making sure that we were capitalizing on that, I thought, was really important.”

Heideman, a backup point guard with the skills to start, had a huge impact on Tuesday, when she helped her teammates shake off a first-quarter funk that saw them trail 23-14. Minnesota scored the last five points of the quarter on a Karlie Samuelson 3-pointer and a transition layup by Heideman.

That was the start of a 14-0 run that included another Heideman fast-break and another Samuelson 3-pointer. Heideman added seven more points, including a late 3 that gave the Lynx a 44-35 lead at the half.

“Playing with pace, that’s what I do, and I think that’s what gets me going,” said Heideman, who re-signed for her second season with the Lynx even though she knew she’d be backing up Courtney Williams. “I just knew that this was going to be a big year for me personally and with our team ... we just trust each other, and it’s been working out.”

After the game, Smith put herself in the opponents’ shoes for a moment, reflecting on Heideman’s impact on the game and the past two seasons.

“Having someone like (Heideman) who’s like a starting caliber player come off the bench, it’s scary for other teams,” Smith said. “We’re lucky we’ve got her.”

The Mercury hung around throughout the second half, but Minnesota put it away with a quick 9-0 burst over a 45-second span in the fourth quarter.

Collier converted a three-point play, and after a Phoenix miss, Bridget Carleton hit a corner 3. Then after a Courtney Williams steal, Collier found McBride in the opposite corner for another 3-pointer, giving the Lynx an 80-56 lead.

The Lynx made a season-high 12 3-pointers on just 25 attempts, with four players hitting at least two, including three each for Samuelson, Smith and McBride.

“I loved the ball movement, loved it when we kept things simple,” said Reeve, who also watched her team commit a season-high 23 turnovers.

“We talked a lot about (limiting turnovers) in training camp and came out of camp really locked in on it,” Reeve said. “When we get back to work on Thursday or Friday, we’re going to move that back up our list, because we can’t have that.”

Heideman, for one, is ready to get back to work.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to look in the mirror and tell yourself what you need to hear.”