Minnesota
WNBA Final Score: Lynx 76, Dream 64: McBride’s 12-Point 3rd Quarter Leads Minnesota to Victory
The Minnesota Lynx traveled from Washington to take on a hungry Atlanta Dream team that is vying for a playoff spot with just a few games left. Rhyne Howard was coming off three straight 30-point games as she looked to upset the Lynx and continue chasing down the Chicago Sky for the final playoff spot. Meanwhile, Minnesota looked to further their playoff positioning and win their fourth straight game.
It was a slow start for both sides, as neither team was able to buy a basket. Napheesa Collier and Alanna Smith got a couple buckets before two Dream triples gave them a two-point lead in the first three minutes. During Collier’s slow start, Smith and Courtney Williams picked up the slack to rebound the Lynx to a 13-8 lead heading into the first television timeout. Minnesota held strong the rest of the quarter and were able to keep the lead 20-14 as the buzzer sounded. Smith and Carleton led the way with 6 points each. Bridget Carleton also hit two three pointers in the frame.
A 7-2 run to start the second quarter for the Dream had the Lynx lead down to one just three minutes into the second period. Minnesota consistently held their small lead despite Phee’s struggles. Carleton scored a couple baskets and Myisha Hines-Allen handed out two assists, helping the Lynx gain a five-point lead heading into the final two minutes of the half. As the clock ran down, a buzzer-beating layup by Allisha Gray cut the Lynx lead to just three at halftime. Carleton lead the way with 11 points on 4 of 4 shooting, with Williams using her mid-range game to notch 10 points.
Heading into halftime, the Lynx lead the Dream 41-38.
Bridget Carleton leads Minnesota with a game-high 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 shooting from three.
— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) September 11, 2024
Atlanta started the third quarter strong with a couple of buckets off of second chance opportunities, taking a 42-41 lead for their first lead since the opening quarter. After the Dream took the lead, McBride answered with a small five-point flurry to stop their run. The game continued to be within one possession until Hines-Allen dished another great backdoor pass to McBride for a layup, then following it up with a steal and fastbreak layup to take a six-point lead with 2:30 left in the third. After this, Minnesota broke out a nine point lead heading into the final frame. McBride took over in the period, scoring 12 points after having just two points in the first half.
Collier, the most recent Western Conference Player of the Week, came out in the fourth quarter looking to close things out as she scored the first two buckets of the quarter. Stifling defense by the Lynx helped them increase their lead to 14 as they held the Dream scoreless for nearly four minutes. Minnesota continued to showoff their dominant defense for the extent of the final quarter and closed the game out with their fourth straight win.
Key Takeaways
Stifling the Stars
Atlanta has a few high profile scorers that they rely on to give them the offense they need to win games. All of Rhyne Howard, Tina Charles and Allisha Gray are capable of putting up big numbers on any given night and can give defenses fits with their scoring prowess. The Lynx knew this and shut them down at every turn. The trio did combine for 44 points but shot a combined 13/48 from the field (27%). The Lynx made it very uncomfortable for all three and it resulted in preventing Howard from continuing her 30 point streak (had reached that mark in her previous 3 games), holding them scoreless for nearly four minutes in the 4th quarter and only allowing 64 points on 30% shooting for the team. The offense is what draws fans to the Lynx but the defense is just as good.
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Kayla McBride’s 3rd Quarter
K-Mac has had a quiet few games as of late for the Lynx taking a backseat to some of her teammates and that continued into the first half of this one. But when the third quarter started, she was a completely different player. She scored 12 points and helped Minnesota break out a nine point lead by the end of the period. McBride is a lethal shooter and can put so much pressure on the defense with her ability to shoot the ball. When she is in a zone like she was in the third, watch out.
Passing Clinic
The Lynx have been the best passing team in the league all season. They lead the league in assists per game 23.2 assists per game and assist percentage with 76.8%. Tonight was no different. They dished 24 assists on 32 made baskets but what made this stat pop was looking at it compared to the Atlanta Dream. Atlanta only had 12 assists on 21 made baskets and it was apparent from watching the game that they were playing a lot of iso basketball. Part of what makes the Lynx so difficult to guard is their ability to share the basketball and that was on full display tonight.
Up Next
The Lynx will head home to take on the Chicago Sky on Friday, September 13th at 6:30pm CT at the Target Center. They will look for their fifth win in a row and chase the 30 win mark on the season against a team that just lost one other best players in Angel Reese. The game will be televised on ION.
ICYMI: Canis Hoopus has a room with Playback to stream Lynx and Wolves games for our community! Follow this link and sign up to watch with myself and other fans as we cheer the Lynx to victory.
https://www.playback.tv/canishoopus
Highlights
Minnesota
Karl-Anthony Towns drops 40, but Wolves spoil Minnesota return
MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards scored 38 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves beat former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns for the first time and hold off the New York Knicks 115-104 on Tuesday night.
Julius Randle had 17 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and Rudy Gobert contributed 11 points, 16 rebounds and his reliably fierce rim protection for the Wolves (20-10), who have won 10 of 12.
Towns scored a season-high 40 points before fouling out in the final minute for the Knicks (20-9) in the absence of fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson, who rested his previously injured ankle.
Knicks coach Mike Brown pointed to Towns’ foul trouble as a factor in Tuesday’s loss.
“Oh, you know, KAT — obviously he can score. He had 40 tonight,” Brown said. “I said it before, he’s a walking double-double. He just has to continue to try not to pick up cheap fouls. He had a couple of cheap fouls where he led with his hand or hooked the guy, and now we have to sit him for X amount of minutes when he needs to be on the floor.”
Tyler Kolekstarted for Brunson and had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Brunson, who had 47 points in a win overMiamion Sunday, joinedOG Anunoby(ankle),Miles McBride(ankle) andLandry Shamet(shoulder) on the shelf to leave the backcourt thin — and make Towns the go-to scorer in his homecoming game against his original team.
Towns had 32 points and 20 rebounds in his first game back at Target Center a year ago, when the Knicks won 133-107. He didn’t play in the rematch in New York the next month, a 116-99 win for the Wolves. Earlier this season, Towns had 15 points toward a 137-114 victory over Minnesota at Madison Square Garden.
These matchups are emotional for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, too, whom the Wolves acquired in the stunning trade before last season that sent their cornerstone East. Randle came alive down the stretch, flexing to the crowd after a couple of tough shots to help the Wolves recover from a 16-point lead they squandered earlier and build their advantage back to 17 late in the fourth quarter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.br/]
Copyright © 2025 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.
Minnesota
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will miss Christmas game vs. Lions with fractured hand
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has a hairline fracture in his hand and will not play on Christmas Day against the Detroit Lions, head coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday.
McCarthy suffered the injury in the first half of the team’s 16-13 win over the New York Giants. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer played the second half and will start against Detroit, O’Connell said.
O’Connell described it as a “very, very small” fracture that will not require surgery, and said McCarthy may be available for the season finale against the Green Bay Packers.
This is the third injury of the season for McCarthy, who missed five games with an ankle injury and another with a concussion. He also spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve.
Brosmer’s lone start this season, Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks, was disastrous. He completed 19 of 30 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions in a 26-0 shutout loss.
The Vikings beat the Lions 27-24 at Ford Field earlier this season. Kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Minnesota
98 Minnesota mayors sign letter to Gov. Walz on state spending concerns
Almost 100 Minnesota mayors, including over half a dozen in the Northland, have signed a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and members of the legislature, raising concerns about the rising costs and financial pressures cities are facing due to state mandates.
The group of 98 mayors published the letter publicly on Monday, December 22nd, highlighting rising property taxes, declining state budget projections and the recent fraud investigations as reasons for “deep concern—and growing frustration” about the state’s fiscal direction.
“As mayors, we see firsthand how these decisions ripple outward. Fraud, unchecked spending, and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities—reducing our capacity to plan responsibly, maintain infrastructure, hire and retain employees, and sustain core services without overburdening local taxpayers,” the letter says, in part.
Rising property taxes are preliminarily set to increase by nearly $950 million across the state next year — a 6.9% increase from 2025. The local leaders say those increases are necessary because of state policies and unfunded mandates, which include requirements for schools, health and human services systems, and public safety policies.
“Every unfunded mandate or cost shift forces us into difficult choices: raise taxes, cut services, delay infrastructure, or stretch thin city staff even further,” the letter states.
The mayors also cited a recent report from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, which showed the state slipping in national rankings over the past six years, something the chamber said should be a “wake-up call” to state leaders.
According to those statistics, Minnesota’s GDP has grown by just 1% per year since 2019, compared to the national average of 1.8%; the labor force has increased just 0.2% annually, ranking 40th nationally; and nearly 48,000 more Minnesotans left the state than moved here between 2020 and 2024.
In their letter, the mayors called on state lawmakers to “course-correct” and focus on policies that encourage growth and local stability.
The League of Minnesota Cities lists 856 cities in the state, so the 98 mayors would account for roughly 11.5% of cities. The map below shows the locations of each city in the Northland whose mayor signed the letter.
A spokesperson for Governor Walz sent our Hubbard sister station KSTP the following statement:
“The Governor’s focus on lowering property taxes is exactly why he has provided more funding than any administration in history directly to local governments.
“The surplus went directly back into the bottom line of local governments: $300 million for their police and fire departments, the largest infrastructure budgets in state history, funding to remove lead lines, the largest-ever increase in flexible local government aid, and property tax relief directly to taxpayers.
“The governor will continue to focus on ways to lower costs, but local governments also have a responsibility to manage their budgets and state aid responsibly.”
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