The Minnesota Lynx may have just furthered the gap between them and every other team in the league. The Lynx currently sit at No. 1 in the WNBA standings, with a 27-5 record; the closest team to them is the New York Liberty at 20-11. On Sunday, the two faced off in a highly anticipated match-up — not just because these are the consensus top two teams in the W right now, but because they would both be forced to navigate life without their star players.
Napheesa Collier suffered a sprained ankle against the Las Vegas Aces earlier this month. Phee is the frontrunner for WNBA MVP this year and has put up incredible numbers all season. She is averaging a league-leading 23.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She is expected to return to the court later this month.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart is also out with an injury. Late last month, Stewie suffered a leg injury against the Los Angeles Sparks. She is also expected to make her return later this month. She is putting up big numbers herself: Stewart is averaging 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this year.
The Liberty struggled to get on track without Stewart, losing the first three without her on the court. Since then, they have won three of their last four. As both teams have had to find ways to make it work without their top player, fans knew their matchup over the weekend would tell us who had the better supporting cast. Spoiler: The Lynx were incredible.
The Lynx dominant supporting cast
As the Lynx and the Liberty squared off, the game remained close till the third quarter, where the Lynx further proved why they're the best in the league. Four of the five Liberty starters put up double-digits, including Natasha Cloud, who recorded 14. But players who have had to step up in Stewie's absence, like Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, were shut down by the Lynx defense. Ionescu recorded 10 points, shooting only 4-of-15. Jones had only 11 points of her own.
Lynx starters Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams understood the assignment, with McBride recording 18 points and Williams adding 14 points and 7 assists. But the Lynx bench was the real difference-maker in this game.
DiJonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman added a SPARK off the bench in the @minnesotalynx victory!
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 10, 2025
◾️Carrington: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST
◾️Hiedeman: 13 PTS #WNBARivalsWeek pic.twitter.com/Q0US5V7RdA
Natisha Hiedeman made her mark off the bench in only 15 minutes, recording 13 points. Minnesota newcomer Dijonai Carrington also had a great game. The Lynx acquired her from Dallas in a recent trade, and she has been playing with a spark we hadn't yet seen this season. In her 24 minutes off the bench, she recorded 15 points, six rebounds and two steals.
While Minnesota will be ecstatic to have Phee back on the court, this game should ease the nerves of fans as the Lynx look like they're in good hands. The Liberty, on the other hand, have struggled a little without Stewart, although they could have their chance at revenge as they play the Lynx two more times this month.