WNBA: Lynx looking to finish strong against fizzling Sparks

Date:

Share post:


The Minnesota Lynx will put their seven-game winning streak on the line Thursday, but not much else when they meet the Los Angeles Sparks in the final regular-season game for both teams in Minneapolis.

The Lynx (30-9) are locked into the No. 2 seed when the WNBA playoffs begin Sunday and might get more out of resting star forward Napheesa Collier on Thursday. Resting anybody else might be a bit tricky. On Wednesday evening, the Lynx announced that Collier as well as guard Kayla McBride will rest, while forward Dorka Juhasz is questionable because of a right foot injury.

“It’s the WNBA and you have a roster size of 11. What are you gonna do, rest four people?” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “It’s safe to say that we’re not going to run (our players) into the ground. And we’d like to finish with a home win.”

In a 78-76 road victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, Collier scored a team-high 25 points as the Lynx built their second seven-game win streak of the season and have come out on top in 14 of their last 15 games. They are 13-1 since returning from the Olympic break.

Collier is averaging 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds this season with 18 double-doubles in 34 games played.

McBride added 14 points against the Sun, while Bridget Carleton added 13, including the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds. Minnesota won after blowing a 12-point lead in the third quarter.

The Sparks (7-32) have been the complete opposite of the Lynx to close out the regular season. They are on an eight-game losing streak and are 1-14 since the Olympic break to lock up last place.

“I know the season didn’t go as planned … but I can honestly say each and every one of us will be in the gym this offseason and we will get better,” the Sparks’ Azura Stevens told the crowd after Tuesday’s home finale, an 85-81 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

“So next year, mark my words, next year is going to be different.”

One bright side has been the play of Dearica Hamby, who is averaging 17.2 points with 9.3 rebounds. It has been the best season of the three-time All-Star’s career, and she even added a bronze medal in the 3×3 competition at the Paris Olympics.

–Field Level Media

spot_img

Related articles

WNCAAB: Women’s Top 25 roundup: No. 3 USC sets record in 124-39 win

Southern California coach Lindsay Gottlieb earned her 300th career win in style on Tuesday as the No. 3...

WNBA: Dream pluck FGCU coach Karl Smesko to lead team

The Atlanta Dream have turned to the college ranks for their next head coach. hiring longtime Florida Gulf...

NCAAB: Egor Demin, BYU face Queens, look to improve to 3-0

BYU will attempt to win its third straight game in first-year coach Kevin Young's tenure when Queens University...

NCAAB: Down 13 in 2nd half, Oregon upends Portland in OT

Jadrian Tracey had 19 points and four steals and Oregon overcame a 13-point, second-half deficit to deliver an...

FREE

Get the most important breaking news and analyses for Free.

Thank you for subscribing

Something went wrong.