The Minnesota Lynx arrived at College Park Center in Arlington to take on the Dallas Wings in the hopes of extending their winning streak to nine. Dallas was looking to stop a four game skid and get back in the win column. Somewhere in the second and third quarters they looked like they just might do that. They didn’t.
Minnesota played a decent first quarter, besting the Wings by ten points, 24 – 14. The Wings trimmed the lead to seven points by halftime and looked as though they were building a head of steam. Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points in the first half, a good sign for Dallas. They then proceeded to outscore Minnesota 17 – 11 in the third, cutting the lead to 1 point. But Ogunbowale only scored four free throws in the third quarter.
But the fourth quarter started with Minnesota reeling off the first seven points, getting some of their juice back. They also kept Ogunbowale in check. She only scored two free throws in the quarter. Minnesota kept it rolling, and eventually won the game 81 – 65. A win is a win, but it wasn’t pretty.
THAT’S NINE IN A ROWWWWWWWWW pic.twitter.com/kOH7ndkau8
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 8, 2025
Napheesa Collier continued putting up numbers with 28 points and 10 boards. Kayla McBride scored 21, going 6 – 10 from deep. Collier went 3 – 6. Ogunbowale led the Wings with 26 points, including 6 – 11 from deep, followed by Maddie Siegrist with 15 points and 1 three pointer. Courtney Williams only played 17 minutes, and while there was never a mention of an injury, at one point she limped a bit off the court and that was that. Aside from Siegrist, only two other bench players scored.
The Lynx had three players score off the bench, totaling 15 points. Minnesota shot a total of 13 – 31 from deep. Dallas shot 8 – 24. Paige Bueckers missed her fourth consecutive game. She had cleared concussion protocol but was out sick for this game. Whether or not her presence would have made a significant difference is hard to say. The Wings were doing point guard by committee, so with Bueckers on the floor they might have had a bit more stability in that area.
A Dominant Final Quarter By The Lynx
The Lynx’s rally in the fourth quarter is a testament to their ability to get things back in order and that they are headed by an extraordinary coach. What the Wings seem to lack is a plan. With the Lynx you can see who does what. Not so with Dallas, at least not yet. Dallas is not without talent.
Perhaps they are still in a “figuring out” period. If so, they need to put that into overdrive. They are digging themselves into quite a hole. Minnesota looks to have a stable roster now, with the departure of Marième Badiane and the arrival of Maria Kliundikova, who you may remember as Maria Vadeeva with the LA Sparks.
Minnesota has had a few close games and come from behind games. That is something they need to address as the season goes on. While it is still a little early in the season, there are teams not that far behind Minnesota and New York, the only unbeaten teams. Yes, Minnesota came back in the fourth quarter for a good final score, but they have to figure out how to keep their leads. As for Dallas, eyes may be on coach Chris Koclanes. A 1 – 9 start doesn’t look so good on a resume.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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