Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the WNBA daily as we try to heal from this pandemic.
Sylvia Fowles had a monster game against the Las Vegas Aces.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Jordan Johnson/Getty Images.)
Sylvia Fowles admittedly said she had the best back-to-back games of her career. We’ll have more on that later as the Minnesota Lynx edged out the powerful Las Vegas Aces in overtime.
It was a battle between the bigs. I mentioned Fowles but Napheesa Collier also had a huge game. And we know who the Aces have; they got the MVP A’ja Wilson and the popular Liz Cambage.
It looked like the Lynx were going to win this in regulation as they led by 9 points with three minutes left. But the Lynx would not score the rest of regulation. Kelsey Plum scored 7 straight, including a huge three-point play to cut the deficit to two. Then Wilson would get fouled on an offensive board with a couple of ticks left. She would make both free throws to send the game to overtime.
By the way, Kayla McBride was being a little saucy towards her former team in OT.
McBride feeling BOLD 😂 pic.twitter.com/EvhsXO9vVc
— W Lead (@WNBALead) June 26, 2021
In overtime, the Lynx led by one with under 30 seconds left. Layshia Clarendon then put up a shot because the shot clock was still on. But Fowles got the offensive board and the game was over.
If that sounded familiar, it’s because that’s how the Lynx won in their previous game against the Atlanta Dream.
The Lynx are at .500 with their win while the Aces fall to 10-4. We mentioned Fowles having a monster game; she followed up her 26-19 game (5 blocks to go with those as well) with 30-14-4-4-4. Yup, that is very close to the first-ever 5×5 WNBA game. Collier missed a triple-double with 23-10-8. Wilson also had a huge game with 28 points, 14 boards, and four steals while Cambage went for 18 points and 20 rebounds.
Might be the best game of the season so far for the league. But I’d say that would be the case for the Minnesota Lynx. They get powerful performances from Fowles and Collier, they beat a top-tier team in Las Vegas, and they’re now back at .500.
WNBA Scoreboard
June 25, 2021
Watch This Play
You know how much I love The No-Look Pass. Like the one Chelsea Gray did here.
No 👀 from @cgray209!
💻 https://t.co/f65A7lITqZ pic.twitter.com/us9MYGdK41
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 26, 2021
Still, the Lynx came away with the win.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the WNBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.