Two days removed from a Lynx win in which Napheesa Collier scored a career-high 33 points, the Seattle Storm would surely take some adjustments into the teams’ Thursday rematch.
One of Collier’s teammates hoped so, for their own sake.
“You’d think that they’d probably double [Napheesa],” rotational guard Rachel Banham said. “If not, all right.”
The Storm didn’t appear to do much extra to defend Collier, especially with dynamic rookie talent Diamond Miller back alongside her. They instead just let Jewell Loyd, their own star, make up for her uncharacteristically poor 14-point Tuesday performance.
Ultimately, the clutch gene that Loyd and Collier seemingly shared had fans in attendance at Climate Pledge Arena on edge amid a wire-to-wire show that ended as a 99-97 win for the Lynx — thanks to Collier’s game-winning fadeaway in the final seconds.
In a tight back-and-forth game, Loyd’s level of play only heightened as the evening progressed. Her slow 1-of-4 start from the field was all but irrelevant when she finished with a career-high 41 points.
Loyd embraced the extra five minutes allocated, netting shot after shot to match a Lynx squad that proved to be just as resilient in the latter stages of a game that featured 12 lead changes and 10 separate ties.
They weren’t at all overwhelmed by such elite output, thanks to Collier — who played all 45 minutes — and Miller. They played with the same aggression and efficiency that helped their team eclipse 100 points just 48 hours prior, and even Kayla McBride shot well again.
To complement the 31 and 19 points that Collier and Miller respectively compiled, McBride also totaled 19 points and shot 6-for-12 from the field with four three-pointers.
Loyd was comparably backed, especially considering how much of an impact Sami Whitcomb had off Seattle’s bench. She added 22 points with a 7-for-11 shooting mark that included four threes.
Minnesota wasn’t helped by the fact that point guard Lindsay Allen, who had five assists and a game-high 13 plus/minus after a quarter, found herself sidelined with five fouls just several minutes into the third quarter.
But the Lynx still only lost 10 turnovers to the Storm’s 18.
The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.