Dream rally to force overtime, but Lynx prevail 96-92

Napheesa Collier scored a game-high 26 points to help the Minnesota Lynx post a 96-92 overtime win over the Atlanta Dream in College Park, Ga., on Friday.

Kayla McBride added 18 points and Courtney Williams tallied 16 points and eight assists for the Lynx (13-2), who led by 17 in the first half and have won four of their last five. Bridget Carleton had 14 points, while Alanna Smith finished with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Brionna Jones led Atlanta (10-6) with 18 points, followed by Allisha Gray’s 17 and Brittney Griner’s 16. Rhyne Howard had 15 points and eight assists, Jordin Canada scored 14 points and Naz Hillmon added 10 for the Dream, who dropped their second straight game.

Atlanta scored the first four points of overtime on free throws before Williams’ jumper and Collier’s back-to-back baskets gave Minnesota a 92-90 lead with 1:13 left.

Smith blocked Canada’s layup with 20.5 seconds left and McBride knocked down two free throws to push Minnesota’s lead to four. After a layup by Gray’s layup, McBride hit a pair of game-sealing foul shots.

The Dream began the fourth on a 14-6 run, taking an 82-75 lead on Canada’s layup with 3:50 remaining. Williams and McBride each had baskets to pull the Lynx within three, before Hillmon’s layup gave the Dream a five-point edge with 1:40 left.

McBride’s triple was followed by Jones’ layup as the Dream led 86-82 with 1:05 remaining. Collier’s layup cut Minnesota’s deficit in half just three seconds later.

Canada missed two layups and then fouled Collier, who made two free throws to knot the score with 21 seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime.

Trailing by five at halftime, Atlanta began the third quarter on a 6-0 run to take its first lead since the opening minute of the game. At the 5:45 mark of the third, Jones’ 3-point play gave the Dream their largest lead to that point at 61-58.

Howard knocked down a pair of free throws to push Atlanta’s lead to 68-64, before Natasha Hiedeman’s layup and Katie Samuelson’s triple sent the Lynx into the fourth quarter with a one-point edge.

Carleton’s consecutive 3-pointers and Collier’s jumper gave the Lynx a 45-28 lead with 4:33 left in the first half. After Williams’ triple gave Minnesota a 15-point lead, Atlanta answered with a 10-0 run to cut its deficit to 48-43.

Leading 52-47 at halftime, Minnesota was paced by Collier’s 15 first-half points. Griner had 10 points at the half for Atlanta.

–Field Level Media