The two top scorers in the WNBA will go head-to-head on Saturday afternoon when the Las Vegas Aces host the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.
Minnesota (23-5) is coming off an emotional 100-93 home win Wednesday against the New York Liberty in a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals. Napheesa Collier scored 30 against the Liberty and leads the league with 23.8 points per game.
“People ask me how she has improved and early in her career, it was the paint — the paint was her spot,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said after Collier’s fifth 30-point game of the season.
“Now she is doing so much more work outside the paint, she is playing from the outside and scoring, scoring threes, and scoring on the move. If you take something away, she will do something else.”
Minnesota has the No. 1 scoring defense in the WNBA, allowing 76.0 points per game, and is second in points scored at 86.4.
The win over New York was arguably Minnesota’s biggest of the season. It was their first meeting since the Liberty downed the Lynx in five games to win the 2024 title.
“It felt like a Finals game,” Reeve said. “It was reminiscent of Game 3 and Game 4 here. The fans were excited, and I thought they were treated to a heck of a ball game.”
Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson ranks second in the league with 22.1 points per game for the Aces (14-13). Las Vegas has won five of its last seven after going through some turmoil earlier this season, adjusting to a new lineup after trading Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks in February.
Aces coach Becky Hammon has recently shifted Jewell Loyd, whom the Aces got in the Plum trade, to a sparkplug role off the bench.
“I think it has helped us across the board,” Wilson said of the new lineup. “When they talk about our schemes flowing and the way we can get, it sparks (us) having Jewell come off the bench. It seems like it’s a healthy balance for us.”
Las Vegas still goes as Wilson goes. The seven-time All-Star had 34 points in the Aces’ win Tuesday over the Sparks. Jackie Young added her first triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Minnesota dominated the first two meetings with the Aces, winning 76-62 on June 17 and setting a season high for points in a 109-78 win on July 25.
–Field Level Media
