MVP candidate Napheesa Collier poured in 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Minnesota Lynx posted a season-high point total in a 102-63 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Collier scored 15 points in the third quarter as she recorded her 10th game of the season of 20-plus points.
Kayla McBride finished 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc and scored 20, Courtney Williams added 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Natisha Hiedeman contributed 10 points for the Lynx (14-2), who are off to their best start in franchise history.
Minnesota won its second straight, improving to 8-0 at home and remaining atop the WNBA standings.
Minnesota’s Karlie Samuelson was helped off the floor in a wheelchair after slipping and injuring her foot in a non-contact injury less than a minute into the second quarter.
The Sun (2-15) have lost nine in a row, including the last three by 20-plus, and are 1-9 away from home. They were without Marina Mabrey (knee) for a fourth game in a row.
Aneesah Morrow was a bright spot in defeat, scoring in double figures for the fifth time in the last six games as she finished with 16 points and 11 boards for her second career double-double. Olivia Nelson-Ododa chipped in 10 points.
The Lynx defeated the Sun 76-70 on May 23. This one wasn’t as close as Minnesota dominated early with a 10-2 run.
Williams’ 3-pointer at the 9:02 mark bounced off the top of the backboard and in as the Lynx took a 5-2 lead and never looked back.
Minnesota closed the first quarter on an 8-2 run and led 27-17 before opening the second period on a 21-0 run.
The Lynx pushed their lead to 46-17 when McBride chased down a loose ball and buried an open 3-pointer in the corner.
Their lead hit 31 at 48-17 when Alanna Smith scored on a layup. Those points were part of a backbreaking 29-2 overall run that began late in the first and the Sun never recovered.
Connecticut ended the scoring drought on two free throws by Tina Charles with 2:40 left.
The Sun made only three field goals on 20 attempts in the second quarter and trailed 50-26 at halftime.
McBride’s fifth 3-pointer with 3:19 to play in the third gave Minnesota a 71-37 lead as the second half proved to be a formality.
Minnesota racked up 27 assists and shot 50.7 percent from the field as it led wire to wire while holding Connecticut to 34.8 percent shooting.
–Field Level Media
