The Minnesota Lynx have been sitting pretty atop the WNBA standings for quite some time now. With the FIBA World Cup break coming up, the No. 1 team looks to finish this stretch strong and keep its name at the top of the contenders conversation.
Tonight, they will face off against a team that has given them a bit of trouble in the past: the young and hungry Washington Mystics. The season series between these two squads is currently tied, with tonight being the deciding factor. Back in June, the Mystics defeated the Lynx 84-79. Minnesota got their lick back just a couple of days later, handing Washington a 78-76 loss.
We could be in for another intense back-and-forth battle tonight. However, while the Mystics' injury report is squeaky clean, the Lynx aren't so lucky.
Napheesa Collier is out and Olivia Miles is probable tonight vs. Mystics
The Minnesota Lynx are coming off a Wednesday night meeting with the Golden State Valkyries. Collier and Miles both filled the stat sheet. The rookie put up 20 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Collier recorded 18 points and 8 rebounds.
Fans have nothing to worry about when it comes to Collier being out tonight. This was her tenth game of the season after missing the first half to rehab her offseason ankle surgeries — she hasn't scored less than 15 points in any of them, and she's averaged 29.8 minutes on the court per night. She is listed out due to 'rest.' It makes sense for her to take tonight off, especially with these games being so close together.
Miles, on the other hand, is listed as probable after rolling her left ankle during Wednesday night's matchup. About midway through the fourth quarter, Miles stepped awkwardly on Collier's foot. She was on the ground for a couple of minutes before being helped off. She did not return to Wednesday's game, but she is still expected to play tonight.
Projected Lynx starting lineup with Olivia Miles and without Napheesa Collier vs. Mystics
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Olivia Miles | G | Maya Caldwell |
Courtney Williams | G | Eliska Joklova |
Kayla McBride | G/F | Chloe Bibby |
Nia Coffey | F | Antonia Delaere |
Natasha Howard | F/C | Dorka Juhász |
This is the starting lineup the Lynx went with for the majority of the first half of the season, before Collier made her debut. The Minnesota bench is fairly thin and lacks high-volume scorers; they average the fewest bench points per game. Expect the starters to play hefty minutes tonight, especially if things remain close. However, forward Chloe Bibby recently signed with the Lynx but has yet to see the court. Tonight could be the night they use her presence off the bench.
Nia Coffey is a solid replacement for Collier in the lineup. She has a similar ability to drain a few 3-balls and protect the paint. This is also the same lineup the Lynx put on the court during both matchups against the Mystics this season.
Of course, Collier's elite paint activity will be missed as the Mystics are the best rebounding team in the league and have only gotten better since their last meeting with the Lynx, so Minnesota will need to be on its A-game tonight. This is a big job for Natasha Howard, as she'll likely be on Shakira Austin all night. However, Howard held her own in both matchups this season. She put up 20+ points in both previous meetings and 15 rebounds in the most recent face-off with the Mystics. Austin was held to only 11 and 7 points, respectively.
Obviously, there will be a massive sigh of relief from Lynx fans if Miles is listed as available tonight. She put up 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in the first meeting. She recorded 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in the second matchup. She'll likely be given the job of taking on Sonia Citron, which is not an easy task, but she has been able to keep up in their face-offs. Forward Michaela Onyenwere has also been putting on some great performances as of late, after recording only 5 and 2 points, respectively, against Minnesota. If she can get going, we could be getting a good one tonight.
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