Lynx continue perfect start with dominant win over Mercury
Lynx continue perfect start with dominant win over Mercury originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
Eight games, eight wins for the Minnesota Lynx.
The Lynx continued their perfect start to the season, dominating the Phoenix Mercury 88-65 Tuesday at Target Center in Minneapolis, improving to 8-0 in the young season.
The Lynx are just the eighth team in WNBA history to start a season 8-0. They also hold the all-time record for most consecutive wins to start a season with 13 in 2016.
Still a ways to go, but the 2025 team is well on its way to a similar start.
It was a bit of a slow start though on Tuesday. Despite shooting a stellar 8 for 15 from the field in the opening frame, Minnesota had five turnovers and faced a 23-19 deficit after 10 minutes. The Lynx came storming back, holding the Mercury (5-3) to just 26 points total over the next two frames as they built a 18-point lead entering the fourth.
That stifling defense pretty much put a wrap on the game. Phoenix wasn't able to cut much into its big fourth-quarter deficit, never getting closer than 15. After that, Napheesa Collier got to the rim for an and-1, Bridget Carleton drilled a 3-pointer and Kayla McBride added another from deep to push the advantage back up to 24 points.
Carleton's 3 also marked a milestone: She scored the 1,000th point of her career.
Both teams emptied their benches with several minutes still remaining in the fourth.
The Lynx were dominant despite an uncharacteristically sloppy night as the turnovers never slowed down after that opening quarter. Minnesota had 23 giveaways overall.
But the hot shooting never slowed down either. The Lynx shot 59% from the field, 48% from 3 and racked up 29 assists, with four players finishing in double figures. Collier led the way with 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Natisha Hiedeman had a big game off the bench with 18 points. Alanna Smith and McBride added 13 points apiece.
Lexi Held led the way for the Mercury with 16 points off the bench.
Smith and Jessica Shephard both got banged up during the first half, but both players returned to the game and were available the rest of the way after briefly exiting.
Tuesday's game was also part of the Commissioner's Cup, the WNBA's in-season tournament, and the Lynx improved to 2-0 in Cup games. The team with the best record in each conference advances to the Commissioner's Cup championship, with teams competing for a $500,000 prize pool. The Lynx are the defending Cup champs.
The Lynx return to action on Sunday when they visit the Dallas Wings for a 3 p.m. CT tipoff for a game that will also be a part of the Commissioner's Cup tournament.
Napheesa Collier: 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal (4 turnovers)
Natisha Hiedeman: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist (4 turnovers)
Kayla McBride: 13 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals (3 turnovers)
Alanna Smith: 13 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks (1 turnover)
Lexi Held: 16 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 rebound (1 turnover)
Satou Sabally: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal (3 turnovers)
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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