McBride hits 7 3s, scores season-high 32 as Lynx beat Storm 83-64
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) gestures after making a 3-point basket during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. Credit: AP/Abbie Parr
MINNEAPOLIS — Kayla McBride hit seven 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 32 points, Napheesa Collier scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and the Minnesota Lynx beat Seattle 83-64 on Sunday night and snapped the Storm's six-game win streak.
Minnesota (8-3), which beat the Storm in back-to-back games to open the season, has won four of its last five games. The Lynx had a three-game win streak snapped Friday when Kahleah Copper's 3-pointer just before the buzzer gave the Mercury an 81-80 win over Minnesota
McBride — who set a franchise record by hitting eight 3-pointers in Friday's loss to the Mercury — made 9 of 13 from the field, 7 of 10 from 3-point range and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line.
McBride hit 3s to open and cap a 10-3 spurt that made it 57-49 with 2:15 left in the third quarter and Minnesota led the rest of the way.
Skylar Diggins-Smith hit a mid-range jumper to cut the Storm's deficit to five with 5:38 left in the fourth quarter but McBride answered with two free throws and followed with a 3-pointer to make it 70-60 less than a minute later and Seattle got no closer.
Jewell Loyd led Seattle with 25 points but shot just 9 of 27, 1 of 9 from behind the arc. The No. 1 pick in the 2015 WNBA draft, Loyd moved past Taj McWilliams-Franklin (5,013) into 24th on the WNBA's career scoring list with 5,030 points. Nneka Ogwumike added 14 points.
Bridget Carleton scored 13 points for the Lynx.
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) shoots over Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor, center left, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. Credit: AP/Abbie Parr
The Storm used a 19-2 run to take a 10-point lead late in the second quarter.
Minnesota shot 45% from the field, hit 12 of 22 (55%) from 3-point range, made 17 of 21 (81%) from the free-throw line and had 25 assists on 27 made field goals.
Seattle (7-4) was coming off a 78-65 road win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday.