Colllier scores 27, takes charge down stretch as Lynx top Dream 91-85 in OT to move into 5th place

Sep 2, 2023, 04:12 am

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Napheesa Collier scored seven of her 27 points in a 9-0 run in overtime and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Atlanta Dream 91-85 on Friday night in a matchup for playoff positioning.

Both teams entered the game with 17-19 records, tied with idle Washington for fifth place with a week left in the season. Atlanta, which has lost nine straight on the road, holds the tiebreaker over the Lynx.

Collier had five points and Kayla McBride scored on a driving layup with 11.1 seconds left in regulation as the Lynx scored the last seven points to force overtime tied at 74. McBride, who finished with 20 points, also had a basket in the game-winning surge.

Atlanta missed its first nine shots in overtime and finished 3 of 14 with two turnovers in the extra five minutes.

Rachel Banham and rookie Dorka Juhasz both had 12 points and Nikolina Milic 10 for Minnesota. Colliert scored 17 rebounds with four blocks and Juhasz had 16 rebounds and six assists.

Cheyenne Parker scored 20 points for Atlanta, Ryne Howard had 16, Aari McDonald 14, Naz Hillmon 13 and Allisha Gray 11.

Atlanta erased an early nine-point deficit and led 21-20 after one quarter. The score was tied at 43 at halftime.

The Dream got it's biggest lead up to that point on McDonald's layup that made it 61-55 with 1:48 left in the third, but Banham made two 3s to tie it before McDonald's layup gave Atlanta a two-point lead heading into the fourth.

Atlanta increased its lead in the fourth as McDonald's 3 with 2:28 left made it 74-67. After McBride tied it Howard missed a long jumper at the buzzer .

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball