Lynx storm past defending champion Aces despite Wilson’s 28 points

Getting scoring up and down the lineup. Playing one of the best offensive games in recent memory — and just enough defense — the Minnesota Lynx went to Las Vegas and trounced the defending champion Aces 100-86.

All five Lynx starters were in double figures: Alanna Smith (18), Kayla McBride (16), Bridget Carleton and Courtney Williams (15) and Naphessa Collier, who shook off early foul trouble to score 14.

The Lynx shot 57.4%. They made 15 of 27 three-pointers. Carleton was 5-for-7 on threes, including one late in the game with the Aces thinking about a comeback. Smith hit four of six threes, had six rebounds and added a steal.

The victory was the second straight and the fifth in six games for the Lynx (9-2), who handed Las Vegas (5-5) its third straight loss. It was Minnesota’s second win in its last 11 games against the Aces.

A’ja Williams scored 28 for Las Vegas. Kelsey Plum had 13.

With the Lynx up 17 with less than three minutes left, both teams emptied their benches. Minnesota remains in the running to play in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game. The Lynx are 4-1 in five tournament games. Both Seattle and Phoenix are 3-1, and both play Thursday.

All this after a relatively slow start. Collier got her second foul just over four minutes in and had to sit. The Aces started the game 7-0, led by as many as eight and made seven of 10 threes in the first 10 minutes.

But the Aces led by just two, 31-29, when the first quarter ended, despite Collier not scoring. The Lynx kept up because they shot a collective 64.7%.

Las Vegas started the game 7-0, and the Lynx responded with a 17-9 run. The Aces went back up seven, but the Lynx closed the quarter 7-3. McBride and Smith each had 10 points in the quarter.

And then the Lynx went out and dropped a 30-17 second quarter on the Aces.

After making 11 of 17 shots overall and going 4-for-8 on threes in the first quarter, the Lynx were 11-for-18, 5-for-7 on threes, in the second. The Aces? After shooting nearly 58% in the first quarter, they were 5-for-15 (33.3%) in the second.

The Lynx got points from seven players in the second, led by Natisha Hiedeman, who had seven. McBride had a four-point play and Carleton hit two three-pointers, including one with a half-second left in the half. The 59 points was the most the Lynx had scored in a half since the 2022 season.

A 6-2 run over the first two-plus minutes of the third quarter pushed the Lynx lead to 15 and prompted an Aces timeout. But, out of that timeout, the Lynx lead grew to 69-51 after Williams stole the ball and fed McBride for a score.

Late in the quarter, Hiedeman and Plum got into it after Hiedeman’s emphatic block on Plum’s drive.

But that didn’t get the Aces going; when Collier hit two free throws with 16.6 seconds left in the quarter, the Lynx lead was back to 18, and that’s where the third quarter ended.

Two free throws by Collier in the first minute of the fourth pushed the lead to 20.

But then the Aces started pushing back.

Wilson scored five points in a 10-3 run, and suddenly it was a 13-point game with 6½ minutes left.

Out of a timeout, Vegas scored again, and the lead was down to 11.

But Smith’s three stopped the run. Moments later, Carleton hit another three, and the lead was back up to 17.

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.