The Minnesota Lynx recovered from a lopsided loss Friday to beat the Chicago Sky 79-74 on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Leading Minnesota (24-9) was a strong second-half surge from Courtney Williams. The guard scored 10 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter. Kayla McBride scored 17 points while Napheesa Collier had a quieter 15-point performance to put the Lynx back in the win column.
Sky rookie Angel Reese had 19 rebounds in a losing effort, which put her into the record books. The forward broke the WNBA record for most rebounds in a season, passing the 404 rebounds Sylvia Fowles grabbed in 2018.
Reese has 418 boards in 32 games. She was a college star at LSU, as was Fowles, who set her record in 34 games.
“Offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds is something that I know I can always do,” said Reese, selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. “I knew it was going to translate right away.
“A lot of people think it’s because I get my own (misses), but statistically, it’s not. People think it’s because I’m the tallest on the court, when I’m not. It’s being able to go down there and bang, doing things that a lot of people don’t want to do. Defense and rebounding wins championships. And I’ve won championships at every level by just doing that.”
Although the Lynx never trailed, Chicago (11-21) scored 11 of the first 13 points of the fourth quarter, tying the score with 7:41 remaining. Williams responded, scoring two baskets in a row to make it a two-possession game that Chicago couldn’t overcome, despite Chicago outrebounding Minnesota 38-24.
Turnovers helped the Lynx in the victory, as they forced 21 from a Sky lineup that featured two rookie starters. Minnesota scored 27 points off those turnovers.
In the fourth quarter, Reese broke another record, this time for offensive rebounds in a season, passing Yolanda Griffith’s 162 rebounds in 2001. Reese had seven offensive rebounds in the defeat and still has eight games to add to both records.
Reese also scored 17 points, with Kamilla Cardoso scoring a season-high 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting and Michaela Onyenwere adding 15.
Missing for Chicago was leading scorer Chennedy Carter. Rachel Banham started in the guard’s place but was held scoreless.
In the first quarter, Minnesota got off to a hot start, scoring on its first six offensive possessions. The Lynx forced seven turnovers, without having a single turnover of their own.
–Field Level Media
