Lynx rally falls short in Dallas, as they fall to 0-5

It was a downer in Big D for the Lynx.

Seeing plenty of positive offensive signs, the defensive struggles were too much to overcome and Minnesota couldn’t come all the way back, falling 94-89 to Dallas on Tuesday night.

Jessica Shepard, Tiffany Mitchell and Kayla McBride carried the team at times, but the Lynx remain winless after five contests.

The offensive output and 48.8% shooting are season bests, but back-to-back opponents have put up 94 points.

“It’s just putting 40 minutes together both offensively and defensively,” Mitchell said. “Other games we lacked offense, so we’ve just got to find that medium and put those two together.”

Returning to the Minnesota lineup after missing two games for her sister’s wedding, McBride finished with 18 points and made four shots from outside the arc.

Playing all 40 minutes, Shepard scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added 10 rebounds for her first double-double this season. And she dished five assists. Mitchell, on the court for all but two minutes, added 17 points and five rebounds. Napheesa Collier also had 17 points.

But Minnesota could have lost more than just a game. Diamond Miller, the team’s top draft pick, rolled her right ankle when landing on an opponent’s foot in the second quarter. She did not return.

Coach Cheryl Reeve did not have a postgame update. “Hopefully, I don’t lose players out of this game as well.”

Dominating inside, Natasha Howard led Dallas with 25 points and Satou Sabally had 23 as the Wings had 46 points in the paint, the most by a Lynx opponent this season. Arike Ogunbowale made four free throws in the final 20 seconds as part of her 21-point night.

Dallas scored 11 of the first 15 points in the second half to open a 13-point lead.

McBride scored eight straight in a 12-2 run, and the Lynx got within three late in the third quarter. A feed from Shepard to Collier got the Lynx within two points midway through the fourth.

“We’re still building in so many ways. We’re not satisfied at all,” McBride said.

Minnesota finished with 16 turnovers, including a traveling call and an offensive foul in crunch time. The Wings scored 23 points off Minnesota miscues; Minnesota had nine points off 10 Dallas turnovers.

Mitchell, in her first start at point guard, and Shepard were catalysts as the Minnesota squad came out blazing. With good ball movement and aggressively attacking the rim, the Lynx opened up a 14-point lead midway through an opening quarter where they shot 68.4%.

“She provided offense and defense,” Reeve said of Mitchell. “We made a decision that the group we were starting wasn’t a good combination after a few games. … I liked it, and we’re going to stick with it.”

But they quickly cooled in the second, making just 4 of 15 shots, turning the ball over five times and failing to consistently get back in transition. Dallas led by six at intermission.