MINNEAPOLIS – There were four ties and two lead changes but when the game concluded, the Atlanta Dream handed the Minnesota Lynx a rare 90-86 home loss in front of 8,788 fans at Target Center on Sunday.
The game started with a layup from Atlanta forward Brionna Jones, which was quickly answered by one from Minnesota forward Alanna Smith for the game’s first tie. Dream guard Maya Caldwell popped off a three-pointer. Lynx forward Napheesa Collier scored her first points, a layup. Minnesota went ahead when guard Courtney Williams hit a three-pointer, but Atlanta guard Allisha Gray’s jump shot tied the score 7-7 with 7:10 left in the opening quarter.
Smith hit a three-pointer to give the Lynx a three-point lead. Caldwell went to the line and converted one of two free throw attempts after getting fouled by Lynx forward Bridget Carleton. Collier extended the Minnesota lead to four points with a jump shot, but Dream center Brittney Griner’s short jumper and a layup from forward Naz Hillmon tied it up for the third time at 12-12.
Hillmon then added a three-pointer to give the Dream the three-point lead. Minnesota guard Kayla McBride answered with a jump shot. Griner made two free throws after getting fouled by Williams. Lynx forward Jessica Shepard and Dream guard Jordin Canada exchanged baskets. Then with 50.2 seconds remaining, Minnesota forward Maria Kliundikova scored a layup and made a free throw after getting fouled by Caldwell on the play. The game was tied for the fourth and final time, 19-19. Jones, who opened the scoring in the period, finished the first quarter scoring with a three-pointer to break the tie and give Atlanta the 22-19 lead at the quarter break. They would not surrender the lead for the rest of the game.
Kliundikova opened the scoring in the second quarter with a layup to cut the Lynx deficit to one point, but Griner found herself open in the paint repeatedly and took advantage of the Minnesota defensive miscues. She scored a layup and two short jump shots to go on a personal 6-0 run to force the Lynx to call timeout with Atlanta leading 28-21 with 8:11 left until halftime.
Collier and Griner exchanged layups coming out of the timeout. Collier made one of two free throws after getting fouled by forward Nia Coffey. Atlanta got back-to-back baskets from Gray and Jones, but Minnesota responded with a jump shot from Williams and to jumpers from Collier. It was 34-30 in favor of Atlanta with 4:10 left in the second quarter.
A minute later, the Dream pushed a sustained 12-2 run with a three-pointer and two free throws from Griner; a layup and two free throws from Canada; and a three-pointer from guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, against a single layup from Lynx forward Alanna Smith. The Dream led 46-32 at halftime.
Minnesota responded to the 14-point deficit by opening things with a Courtney Williams jump shot just nine seconds into the quarter. It was answered by a layup from Gray. Then Williams hit a short jumper. Collier and Caldwell exchanged three-pointers. Smith and Canada traded baskets. Lynx forward Diamond Miller hit a three-pointer and force Atlanta to call timeout.
The score was 53-44 in favor of the Dream with 6:11 left in the third quarter. During the timeout, the on-court entertainers knocked the net off the basket, so the timeout was extended for an equipment malfunction as a new net was installed on the rim.
Miller scored a layup on the next Lynx possession. Collier and Caldwell traded layups. Collier scored a three-pointer. The Dream held onto the ball too long and turned the ball over on a shot clock violation. Miller made one of two free throws after getting fouled by Canada. Minnesota’s 11-2 run cut the deficit to three-points. Atlanta led 55-52 with 1:29 left in the third quarter.
Griner found the basket again. She hit a short jumper and then made the first of two free throws. Hillmon grabbed the rebound after Griner missed the second, threw the outlet pass to Canada, who was fouled by Smith. Canada made both free throws to give Atlanta an eight-point lead. However, Lynx forward Jessica Shepard’s reverse layup with 18.4 seconds left was the final basket of the quarter. Atlanta held a 60-54 lead going into the fourth quarter.
There was no room for error for either team as the fourth quarter arrived. Every single possession mattered and any mistake that was made could be a costly error. It was the Dream who struck first with rookie guard Te-Hina Paopao hitting a three-pointer right out of the gate to extend the lead to nine points.
Collier responded with a jump shot, which was answered by one from Walker-Kimbrough. Minnesota guard Natisha Hiedeman’s three-pointer reclaimed the missing points from the shot that Paopao made, but Walker-Kimbrough and Gray each made jump shots to negate any advantage Hiedeman’s three-pointer gave the Lynx. Hiedeman scored on a layup which was answered by a jump shot from Gray. Hiedeman answered with another layup, but Walker-Kimbrough responded with a three-pointer. This time Minnesota called timeout to try to figure it out. Atlanta led 74-63 with 7:11 left on the clock.
Smith made a reverse layup and one of two free throws after getting fouled by Griner. Gray answered with a short jumper, and then Collier scored on a reverse layup. Minnesota had cut the deficit to eight points and it looked like there could be some momentum building. However, that was taken away when Canada made a layup and free throw after getting fouled by Hiedeman for the “and one.” Hillmon then scored on a fast break layup. It was 81-68 in favor of the Dream when Minnesota called timeout with 4:52 left on the clock and the game feeling like it was slipping away.
After the timeout, Collier and Walker-Kimbrough traded baskets. Courtney Williams made a layup. Then Hillmon scored on a layup which was immediately followed by a jump shot by Miller on the other end. Both plays were under review during the timeout at 1:57. Hillmon’s layup was negated as she released it too late and it was considered a shot clock violation turnover. Miller’s basket stood. Atlanta led 83-74.
McBride and Canada exchanged baskets. Collier and Griner exchanged jump shots and Minnesota called their last full timeout with 1:02 left and Atlanta leading 87-78.
Collier scored a layup and was fouled by Gray. She converted the free throw to cut the deficit to six points. Carleton fouled Canada, who made both free throws to push the Dream lead back to eight. Hiedeman hit a three-pointer with 24.9 seconds left to cut the Lynx deficit to five-points, and Collier’s jump shot made it an 89-86 game when Atlanta called their reset timeout with 8.1 seconds remaining.
Hiedeman fouled Canada, who made one of two free throws. Carleton grabbed the rebound but Hiedeman was unable to make the buzzer beating shot or get fouled. Atlanta took home the 90-86 road win.
Atlanta went 34-for-65 (52.3 percent) from the field; 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) from three-point range; and 14-for-17 (82.4 percent) from the free throw line. They committed 18 turnovers which led to 19 Lynx points.
“They [Minnesota] made a great run at the end. They made a lot of plays and we turned it over a few times. What I liked the most is even though it happened we were able to kind of regroup and come together and keep our composure,” said Dream head coach Karl Smesko. “I think because we were able to do that, we found a way to score enough points just to win.”
Minnesota went 33-for-66 (56.1 percent) from the field; 7-for-18 (38.6 percent) from three-point range; and 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) from the charity stripe. They turned the ball over 16 times which led to 15 Dream points.
“We just didn’t come to play defensively. We were really easy to play against in that first half. Offensively, we gave into their physicality. It was not new for us. We saw it in Atlanta. We just didn’t handle it very well,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. “Then we had a bunch of long faces because it wasn’t easy. Shot weren’t going in all the time. We just didn’t respond to hard very well today…at all.”
Minnesota led 48-40 in points-in-the-paint; 8-6 in second chance points; 6-4 in fast break points; and 27-22 in bench points. There were four ties and two lead changes in the game. Minnesota’s largest lead was four points while Atlanta’s was 14 points.
“I do think it’s important as you get into a playoff situation that you already have some experience winning big games on the road against the best teams,” said Smesko. There hasn’t been a better team than Minnesota this year. This environment is a tough place to play. They have really loud fans. For us to come out, play as well as we did and get the win, I think it’s something that we’ll remember that we’re capable of that when there comes a time when we need to win a big game on the road. The more time you do it, the more belief that you can do it.”
The Dream were led by 22 points from Brittney Griner. Jordin Canada added 18 points. Allisha Gray and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough each chipped in for 12 points. Naz Hillmon grabbed a team high nine rebounds while Te-Hina Paopao dished four assists to lead the Dream.
“We’re finding our stride. I think this road trip was a big test for us and we still have another rbig road trip coming up,” said Canada. “I think this is a testament to the type of team that we could be. We just have to be consistent in what we do, but I think we are starting to hit our stride. We’re starting to build that chemistry.”
The Lynx were led by 32 points from Napheesa Collier. Alanna Smith added 12 points, Courtney Williams pitched in for 11 points, and Natisha Hiedeman tossed in 10 points more. Collier led Minnesota in rebounding with eight boards, while Williams dished nine assists for the Lynx.
“We needed to be more aggressive on the ball to try to slow them down, and make it easier on the posts as well so we could just stay with ours [guards],” said Hiedeman.
Atlanta (15-10) will host the Golden State Valkryries (11-13) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT. Minnesota (22-5) will host the New York Liberty (17-8) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
