The Dream’s Rhyne Howard left the game in the third quarter with a lower leg injury and did not return and Atlanta fell to the Lynx 68-55 on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Howard and Allysha Gray, the Dream’s top two scorers, combined for just 13 points on 2 of 25 shooting, 0 of 14 from 3-point range. Howard scored six points and Gray finished with seven.
Howard came into the game averaging 16.2 points per game and Gray averaged 15.8.
Tina Charles led the Dream (6-7) with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Nia Coffey had all 11 of her points in the first half and Haley Jones had 11.
Napheesa Collier scored 16 points to lead Minnesota’s balanced attack. Bridget Carleton scored 14 points and Dorka Juhasz had 10 points off the bench for the Lynx (12-2), who posted a 19-6 advantage from their reserves. Juhasz also had 11 rebounds. Carleton was 4 of 5 behind the arc but her teammates were 3 of 17.
Minnesota struggled with its shooting, going 7 of 22 from 3-point range and shooting 35.5% overall (27 of 76) but held the Dream to 29% (19 of 66).
Minnesota took a 45-30 lead at the half, using an 11-0 run spanning the first two quarters to get some separation. The Dream got back in the game with an 11-4 run before Courtney Williams made three free throws for the Lynx in the last second.
Jones scored to pull Atlanta within 43-39 with 3 1/2 minutes to go in the third quarter but reserve Cecilia Zandalasini hit a 3 to give the Lynx an 11-point lead and it was 56-47 heading to the fourth quarter.
Minnesota outscored Atlanta 12-8 over the last 10 minutes.
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