Lynx top Wings in physical, back-and-forth rematch

The Dallas Wings started Thursday's home game against the Lynx with a big chip on their collective shoulder, but without forward Satou Sabally, who was injured late in Minnesota's victory at Target Center on Tuesday.

The ensuing controversy — fans being ejected for taunting Sabally, who sprained her ankle, and Sabally ripping the fans on social media after the game — promised to make this rematch emotional.

It was. And physical. And down-to-the wire, and back-and-forth.

And another Lynx win: 90-81.

With a 16-point lead cut to one with 2:13 left, Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride carried the team to a 9-1 finish and back-to-back victories over a Wings team Minnesota is chasing in the standings.

"We had to withstand a lot to hang on," coach Cheryl Reeve said.

That included, the Lynx felt, the officiating; Collier, who rarely complains, said the Lynx felt they were playing 5-on-7 much of the time.

"We don't quit, either," Collier said.

Nope.

Collier had 25 points, seven boards and four steals, becoming just the third player in regular season history to get at least 25, seven and three in consecutive games. McBride scored 20, hitting four of 10 three-pointers. Her second-quarter three made her the 17th player in league history with 500 made treys, and the sixth-fastest to get there.

Together, they brought this one home, with Collier (six free throws) and McBride (one enormous three) scoring their team's final nine points. The two have always played well together, but they have taken it to a new level here. Tiffany Mitchell added 11 points with a game-high seven assists.

But it wasn't as easy as it should have been. A 14-0 start to the third quarter — Collier had eight of them — put the Lynx up 16.

The bruising Wings are one of the league's best rebounding teams and inside threats. They scored 50 points in the paint. But the Lynx nearly matched them in the paint (36) and on the boards, especially late. McCowan's three-point play made it a one-point game with 133 seconds left. And then:

* Collier made two free throws with 1:54 left.

* At the other end McCowan missed a three-footer and Bridget Carleton got the rebound.

* Dorka Juhász missed a three, but Collier got the rebound. McBride missed a shot, but Juhász got the rebound. Out of a timeout Jessica Shepard fed McBride, whose 26-footer put the Lynx up six with 49.7 seconds left.

* After McCowan missed another layup (McBride rebound), Collier's two free throws iced the game.

"This shows we've grown," Collier said. "That's how you want the season to be, to grow. We've seen that, for sure."