Napheesa Collier, Lynx crush Aces, win 14th straight at home

MINNEAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier scored 25 points, Courtney Williams added 23, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Las Vegas Aces 109-78 on Friday night for their 14th straight home win.

Williams shot 10 for 12 from the field, including 3 for 4 on 3-pointers. Collier was 7-for-12 and made 10 of 13 free throws to go along with nine rebounds. It was her 16th 20-point game this season, most in the WNBA.

Bridget Carleton added 14 points, Kayla McBride scored 13 and Jessica Shepard had 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Lynx (22-4) won their fourth straight overall. Their 109 points tied the single-game high in the WNBA this season (the Wings scored 109 at the Sun on May 27).

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Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said she thought it might have been her team’s best game of the season.

“I thought our starters were incredibly locked in,” Reeve told reporters. “And then even bench minutes, you know, we’ve been a little longer to kind of give them a little bit more time to grow.”

After leading 51-35 at halftime, Minnesota scored 34 points in the third quarter to take an 85-61 lead into the fourth. In addition to shooting 9 for 20 on 3-pointers in the first three quarters, the Lynx added 22 free throws on 31 attempts. They took 23 free throws in the third quarter, tied for the third most in any quarter by a team since the WNBA moved to quarters in 2006. The Lynx finished 25 for 38 from the line and shot 54% overall, going 10-for-25 on 3s.

The Lynx reached 100 points with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Anastasiia Olairi Kosu scored on back-to-back possessions near the one-minute mark for the final score of the game and Minnesota’s largest lead of the night.

The Lynx outrebounded the Aces 48-30, something not lost on Reeve after the game.

“Yeah, I mean, rebounding was on our minds — led by Jess,” Reeve said. “You know I like what Jess is — really gritty and just in there fighting for every rebound. She was a great leader for us tonight, really with both groups. Her effort is contagious. Like you said, that fourth quarter and continuing to rebound — that was really important to the team. You could tell.”

Las Vegas, playing on the road for the second consecutive night, shot 38% from the field. A’ja Wilson led the Aces (12-13) with 15 points, and Jackie Young added 14.

The Aces’ Jewell Loyd was held scoreless, the second time that has happened in her career. She had gone 202 consecutive games with at least one point dating to July 19, 2019.

Chelsea Gray’s 3-pointer gave Las Vegas a 14-12 lead before Minnesota finished the first quarter on a 15-4 run. Carleton made two 3s in the spurt, and Collier added five points.

Williams, McBride and Collier each hit 3s late in the second quarter as the Lynx took a 51-35 lead at halftime.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.