Sep 29, 2020; Bradenton, Florida, USA; A recreation ball waits on a sanitation cart throughout recreation 5 of the WNBA semifinals between the Connecticut Suns and the Las Vegas Aces at IMG Academy. Necessary Credit score: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports activities Nneka Ogwumike tied her season excessive with 26 factors on 10-for-14 capturing Friday night time, giving the host Seattle Storm a dominating 91-63 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
Ogwumike responded in an enormous method after scoring solely 9 factors, a season low, on Wednesday in opposition to the visiting Las Vegas Aces.
Skylar Diggins-Smith had 10 factors and 12 assists. Jewell Loyd added 14 factors, and Ezi Magbegor chipped in 10 factors with eight rebounds for Seattle (15-8), which was enjoying its eighth straight dwelling recreation.
With Napheesa Collier out with harm for Minnesota (16-7), Kayla McBride led the best way with 27 factors. No different participant scored greater than seven. Dorka Juhasz, Collier’s substitute, scored 4 factors and grabbed seven rebounds.
Seattle carried a 13-point lead into the second half, however McBride received Minnesota going within the third quarter. She scored 11 of the Lynx’s first 15 factors of the half, the final 9 on a trio of 3-pointers. The Storm’s lead was all the way down to 10 factors with about 5 remaining within the interval.
The Storm took a timeout to regroup and went on a seven-point run, slowing down any Minnesota momentum. It was a pattern on the night time for Seattle.
Minnesota began the night time robust, leaping forward 9-2 lead and forcing three turnovers within the first two minutes.
Nonetheless, Seattle scoring 32 of the subsequent 45 factors. The led 34-22 after Ogwumike’s jumper with 7:42 left within the second quarter. The Lynx did not rating for the primary 5:02 of the quarter and trailed by as many as 18 earlier than halftime. Ogwumike scored 12 straight factors within the burst.
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve performed the fourth quarter with out McBride. Seattle capitalized additional, scoring the primary 9 factors of the interval behind three straight treys by Sami Whitcomb.
The Storm averted a season sweep, having misplaced to the Lynx 3 times. Seattle additionally gained by a minimum of 20 factors for the fourth time this season.
–Area Stage Media