Napheesa Collier scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, marking her 13th double-double of the season. Courtney Williams added 14 points and five assists, helping the Minnesota Lynx defeat the Washington Mystics 79-68 on Thursday night.
Williams hit a 3-pointer to break a 63-63 tie with 4:24 left, and Collier scored four points in a row to push the Lynx to a 70-63 lead with 2:50 remaining. Kayla McBride then made a 3-pointer to give the Lynx an eight-point advantage with 1:36 on the clock.
McBride stole the ball and passed it to Alanna Smith, who made a layup while being fouled with 38.5 seconds left. Smith completed the three-point play with a free throw, extending the Lynx’s lead to 76-68. Washington’s Shakira Austin missed two free throws, and Minnesota got the rebound to secure the win.
Washington scored only one field goal in the final six minutes of the game.
Collier had recently helped the U.S. win the gold medal by defeating France at the Paris Olympics. In her first game back with the Lynx (18-8) since July 4, she was 6 of 13 from the field in 30 minutes. Smith contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, and McBride also scored 12 points.
For Washington (6-20), Ariel Atkins scored 12 points, Brittney Sykes added 11, and Jade Melbourne had 10 points. Austin, returning for the first time since May 31 due to a hip injury, had 10 rebounds and nine points.
Both teams struggled with their shooting in the first half, with Washington leading 37-35 at halftime.
UConn star Paige Bueckers, who is from Minnesota, watched from the sidelines as her former college teammates Dorka Juhasz and Aaliyah Edwards played.
