Maya Caldwell scored 16 points off the bench on 6-for-12 shooting, and the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 100-72 win over the Toronto Tempo on Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Courtney Williams finished with 15 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (3-2), which bounced back from a loss against the Chicago Sky in its previous game. Olivia Miles had 14 points and a team-high five assists, and Natasha Howard and Kayla McBride finished with 13 points apiece.
Kia Nurse scored 23 points and made a half-dozen 3-pointers off the bench to lead Toronto (3-3). Kiki Rice finished with 11 points and six rebounds for the Tempo, who fell short in trying to achieve a three-game winning streak for the first time in team history.
Minnesota won the rebound battle 46-25.
The Lynx jumped to a 16-point lead in the first eight minutes.
Miles played a pivotal role in the Lynx’s fast start. She converted a three-point play with a layup and a free throw to put Minnesota on top 24-8 with 2:15 to go in the first quarter.
Toronto cut the deficit to 27-14 by the end of the first quarter. Nurse drained a 3-pointer off a pass from Rice to finish the first-quarter scoring for the Tempo.
By halftime, Minnesota increased its lead to 53-32.
The Lynx grabbed a 21-point lead midway through the second quarter. Williams assisted on a basket by Liatu King, who knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 43-22 with 5:35 remaining before the halftime break.
Howard scored the final basket of the half off a pass from Miles.
Toronto could not muster a second-half rally. They were outscored 23-16 in the third quarter to fall behind 76-48 entering the final 10 minutes.
A 6-0 run early in the third quarter boosted the Lynx’s lead to 66-43 with 6:06 remaining. Minnesota finished the third quarter on an 8-0 run to help put the score out of reach. Miles punctuated that run with a step-back jump shot.
–Field Level Media
