Feeling right at home - Pioneer Press

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Feeling right at home

Lynx beat Wings in home opener, spoiling Bueckers return to Minnesota

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles down the court as Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) defends during the second half of Wednesday’s game at Target Center in Minneapolis. ABBIE PARR — ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Mike Cook

Special to the Pioneer Press

Three games into the season, Napheesa Collier sees responding as one of the strengths of this year’s Minnesota Lynx.

It was proven Wednesday.

Collier scored 28 points, including four clutch free throws late in the final minute, and the Lynx held off the Dallas Wings 85-81, spoiling the return to Minnesota of Hopkins native Paige Bueckers, who was playing just her third game in the WNBA after being the No. 1 overall draft pick this year.

Routinely up by eight or nine points in the second and third quarters, the Lynx could not put away the Wings.

Minnesota led by 11 late in the third quarter, but Dallas continually chipped away to make it a one-possession game with 1:15 remaining.

Collier pushed the Minnesota lead back to five with a couple free throws, but a 3 from Arike Ogunbowale made it a two-point game with 39.3 seconds left.

“We’re really good at not panicking, even when they went on their run at the end. Yes, we were messing up, but we’re not pointing fingers. We’re trying to be efficient and wanting to be better getting a stop on the next play,” Collier said. “This team is really resilient. I saw it last year. I see it this year. I think it’s our greatest, like, superpower.”

Courtney Williams grabbed an offensive rebound, Collier made two free throws with 17.5 seconds left and the Lynx could exhale.

Collier made all 12 of her free throws; the rest of the team was 8 for 15 from the line.

Second in last year’s MVP voting, Collier is averaging a league-high 28.3 points and is shooting 57.7% from the field in her first three games.

“She locked in. She on a mission this year,” Williams said. “We successful when she come out and play like the MVP of this league.”

Bueckers, meanwhile, is still finding her way. She finished with 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Ogunbowale led 0-3 Dallas with 21 points.

For the third straight game, Minnesota (3-0) had 27 assists. Just one Minnesota basket did not come with a helper. The Lynx shot 47.5% from the field after combining for 50.4% in its first two wins.

On the other hand, Minnesota committed 19 turnovers.

“We had moments that I thought we just couldn’t cash in on when we were doing some good things defensively, putting ourselves in good position and we just couldn’t break the 10,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “When we were up 10, we just couldn’t stretch it, its’s something we got to learn how to do.”

Williams and Alanna Smith each added 13 points in front of a home opener crowd of 12,772 after the Lynx beat Dallas 99-84 in the opener for both teams on Friday. Jessica Shepard had a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench.