The Minnesota Lynx will go for their fourth win in a row when they tip off against the Dallas Wings on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota (10-3) has only one loss in its last seven games as it has surged near the top of the WNBA standings. It has posted three straight wins against the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks.
In their latest game against Los Angeles, the Lynx erased a 12-point deficit for an 81-76 comeback victory.
“The most important thing with this team is that, through the tough moments, the frustrating moments, they don’t break,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “They don’t separate. They problem-solve together.”
Dallas (3-9) is looking for a bright spot as it tries to snap a seven-game losing streak. The Wings have not won since May 26, when they edged Los Angeles 84-83 on the road.
The losing streak has come despite strong play from Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale, who is averaging 24.9 points per game. She also leads the team with 5.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
Ogunbowale made headlines this weekend when she revealed that she had taken her name out of consideration for the Team USA roster for the Paris Olympics.
“Me being me, I just felt the vibes,” Ogunbowale said. “When it comes to (the Olympic trials), it really doesn’t have much to do with your game. It’s really about who they feel fits with the team. … I actually took my name out of the pool months ago.”
Napheesa Collier leads Minnesota with 21.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. She also is averaging 3.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.
Collier will look to stay hot after scoring 30 points, pulling down six rebounds and tallying a whopping eight steals in her most recent game against Los Angeles.
Teammate Courtney Williams marveled at Collier’s performance Friday and throughout the season.
“She’s such a humble superstar,” Williams said. “No ego. She comes out, 20 and 10 every night. I’ve never played with anyone like her, so humble in the way she does things.”
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Lynx and Wings. In their first matchup on June 2, Minnesota pulled away for an 87-76 win.
Kayla McBride paced the Lynx with 25 points in their first win over Dallas. Ogunbowale scored 21 to lead the Wings.
–Field Level Media