Brittney Griner, Dream hand Lynx their first home loss of the season, spoil Napheesa Collier's 32-point night
Brittney Griner led the Atlanta Dream to a 90-86 win over the Lynx on Sunday to hand Minnesota its first home loss of the season. The Lynx had previously won 14 straight at home to start the 2025 campaign.
The Dream had to fend off a stat-stuffing 32-point effort from Napheesa Collier and a furious late comeback effort from the Lynx to secure the win. But they did both to improve to 15-10 and keep pressure in the East on the New York Liberty (17-7), whose first-place lead over the Dream now stands at 2.5 games.
The Lynx still maintain the WNBA's best record with the loss that dropped them to 22-5 and 14-1 at home.
Atlanta seized early control of the game and raced out to a 46-32 halftime lead. Griner repeatedly outmatched her opponents in the paint en route to a season-high 22 points alongside four rebounds and three assists. She scored 17 of her 22 points before halftime and finished the night shooting 8 of 13 (61.5%) from the field.
The second half was a different story. Collier, who scored 11 points in the first half, took the game over after the break.
Minnesota cut its 14-point halftime deficit to 60-54 by the end of the third quarter, and Collier kept the pressure on en route to 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks. She one-upped Griner's offensive efficiency with a 14-of-18 (77.8%) effort from the floor, including a jumper that cut Atlanta's lead to 86-89 with 11.1 seconds remaining.
But Jordin Canada hit a free throw that pushed Atlanta's lead back to two possessions at 90-86 with 7 seconds remaining, and the Dream ran out of time and chances to complete the comeback.
With the win, the Dream cap a six-game road trip with a 3-3 record. They'll return to Atlanta to face the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday in their first home game since July 7. They'll finish the season with a back-loaded slate of home games that features 11 of their last 19 games in Atlanta, including seven of their last nine.
The Lynx will have a chance to start a new home-winning streak on Wednesday in a showdown with the Liberty featuring the two best teams in the league. The Liberty might play that game without All-Star Breanna Stewart, who's dealing with a leg injury but will reportedly travel with the team.
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