Cruising early, Lynx fall flat in second half in blowout loss to Storm

La Velle E. Neal III, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Aug 28, 2025

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The Lynx appeared to be cruising to their franchise-record 31st victory of the regular season on Thursday, and to clinching the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs.

Then the second half happened. The Seattle Storm stormed back after halftime for a stunning 93-79 comeback at Target Center. The Storm outscored the Lynx 60-33 in the second half.

The Lynx led by as many as 21 points in the first half before Seattle outscored them 35-20 to close within two midway through the third quarter. After missing 10 of their first 11 shots, the Storm started firing in 3-pointers and took advantage of Lynx turnovers.

Also during the third quarter: Alanna Smith was on the receiving end of a flagrant foul to the face. She hit the free throw but left for several minutes. Then Courtney Williams turned an ankle and left the game as well. Both returned to the game in the fourth quarter.

The Lynx trailed 68-63 by then. The final point coming on a technical foul on Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve who was steaming at the scorer’s table as Seattle’s Skylar Diggins screamed at the Lynx and Kayla McBride clapped back.

But the Lynx made just one field goal over the first five minutes of the of the fourth, while Seattle took a 77-70 lead. Nneka Ogwumike buried two 3-pointers while Dominique Malonga added five as Seattle took an 86-76 lead late in the quarter.

Malonga and Erica Wheeler came off the bench to score 13 points apiece, and the combination of Malonga and Ogwumike proved to be tough to defend. Diggins, who led Seattle with 23 points, raised her intensity level in the second half.

McBride led the Lynx with 20 points. Williams had 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. Napheesa Collier had 18 points and nine rebounds but shot only 7 for 23 from the floor, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range.

The lower bowl was full at Target Center on Thursday — impressive on a night in which the State Fair and Gophers football were in action.

They watched the Lynx put on a show at times as they took a 46-33 lead into halftime.

Williams was 6 of 7 from the field — her miss on a 3-point attempt — as she led all scorers with 16 points. But she also grabbed four rebounds and added six assists.

The Lynx took a 38-19 lead in the second quarter, during a stretch when Williams scored or assisted on Minnesota’s first five baskets of the quarter.

She assisted on Jessica Shepard’s layup, sank two free throws, grabbed a rebound for a layup, sank a 3-pointer then hit Collier for a layup. Williams has had numerous stretches during the season when she looks like a first team All-WNBA player, and she was a storm Seattle couldn’t weather on Thursday.

McBride hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the half. And this came with Collier shooting 3 of 11 from the field.

And that was a problem. The Lynx went 5-2 this month with Collier sidelined by an ankle injury. On a night they needed an MVP candidate to bring them back, Collier was ice cold.