Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the WNBA daily as we try to heal from this pandemic.
The Minnesota Lynx stay hot as they defeat the Aces in Las Vegas.
(PHOTO CREDIT: David Becker/Getty Images.)
Dude. These Minnesota Lynx suddenly can’t stop winning.
They beat the Las Vegas Aces for the second time in two weeks. This time around, they didn’t need overtime as they jumped on them in the first quarter and never looked back.
Layshia Clarendon led a balanced attack and scored 18 points. She also dished out 9 assists. The Aces were held under 36 percent shooting; A’ja Wilson, in particular, struggled with a 4-for-15 performance (13 points). Kelsey Plum led the Aces with 18 points but it wasn’t close to enough for the Liz Cambage-less team.
This was Kayla McBride‘s first game back in Las Vegas since leaving them in free agency. She only scored 10 points but had averaged 25 in the previous three games.
So the real peculiar stat here is that the Lynx did NOT attempt a single free throw in this game.
However they would be appreciated 🙃 https://t.co/fzyK4sjOD6
— napheesa collier (@PHEEsespieces) July 10, 2021
And the Lynx somehow led by double digits pretty much the entire game. This is only the second time this has happened in league history (Mystics did it in 2003).
But what’s most important right now is that the Lynx have won 6 straight games.
Bullet Passes
Sue Bird, the W’s all-time assists leader, reached 3,000 career dimes.
.@S10Bird, the #WNBA all-time assists leader, is now the first player in league history to reach 3,000 career AST 🎉
Take a look back at some of Bird’s dimes from over the years 👏#CountIt pic.twitter.com/7wUlpw84s8
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 10, 2021
That is quite a feat. She is magic with the ball.
But the Phoenix Mercury upended the Seattle Storm on Friday. The Merc have beaten the Aces and Storm in back-to-back games!
Brittney Griner showed her dominance once again with 29 points and 15 boards and Skylar Diggins-Smith had 26 points to help Phoenix get back to .500.
Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun got back on track with a win over the Atlanta Dream. Jonquel Jones went for 24 points and 16 boards.
Connecticut and Seattle are going to face each other in the Commissioner’s Cup. The winning team gets a $500,000 prize. That will take place after the Olympic break on August 12th.
And the Indiana Fever won another game! Good to see them get on a bit of a roll after that nightmarish 1-16 start.
WNBA Scoreboard
July 9, 2021
Watch This Play
This is an impressive lay-up by Skylar.
All buckets for @SkyDigg4
📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/cLbHWtaOMq
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 10, 2021
Even more impressive that she did that with Breanna Stewart and Mercedes Russell in the vicinity.
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.