Napheesa Collier Returns Home as Lynx Beat Tempo 100-93

Olivia Miles scored 24 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Toronto Tempo 100-93 on Tuesday night at Target Center for their eighth straight win.

Miles shot 9-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-5 from three, adding 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and a steal. It was her fourth game this season with at least 20 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. The performance also tied the WNBA rookie record for games with 20 or more points on 50/40/90 shooting splits, at four.

Minnesota improved to 23-6, the best record in the league.

Napheesa Collier had 15 points and 6 rebounds in her first home game since September. Collier played once before the All-Star break and then sat through an extended gap before returning.

Collier was asked at the podium what the night was like.

"Yeah, it was everything that I've been dreaming of since I pictured coming back. Just being on the home court in front of the home crowd was so fun," Collier said. "The way they've supported me through this whole thing — we say for a reason that we have the best fans in the league. The way they support us, how loud they are, the way they show up — they definitely didn't disappoint tonight."

Toronto led 28-25 after the first quarter. Miles had 15 points by halftime and Kayla McBride scored 13, and Minnesota took a 53-43 lead into the break.

Miles made a layup for an 89-75 lead with 6:32 to play. Laura Juskaite and Kia Nurse hit back-to-back 3-pointers to close a 12-0 run that cut the margin to two over the next 2:22. Antonia Delaere answered with two straight 3-pointers to push the lead to 95-87.

Delaere finished with 12 points in 9:17 off the bench, going 4-of-5 from three for a career high in made 3-pointers. It was her third game this season with at least 10 points. Minnesota's bench scored 25, with Maya Caldwell adding 7, Eliska Hamzova 4, and Dorka Juhasz 2.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about Delaere's second half.

"It was terrific. I appreciated her staying ready. Earlier in the season we've told her every time she touches the ball she should be looking to shoot," Reeve said. "I especially appreciated that last three because it was more contested, and she didn't hesitate. She needed to take it."

McBride finished with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 4-of-7 from three, along with 4 assists, 3 steals, and a rebound. It was her 17th game this season with at least 15 points and the 196th of her career. Natasha Howard added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block, her 23rd game this season with at least 10 points and 5 rebounds and the 201st of her career.

Minnesota shot 51.4% (37-of-72) from the field, 56.0% (14-of-25) from three, and 75.0% (12-of-16) at the free throw line. The Lynx have shot 50% or better from the floor six times this season. Their 26 assists marked the third game this year they have reached 25.

Marina Mabrey led all scorers with 25 points and added 8 rebounds and 6 assists for Toronto. Maria Conde finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for a career high in scoring and her first double-double of the season. Juskaite scored 18. Julie Allemand had 10 points and a team-high 7 assists as a starter. Kiki Rice played her first game since June 3 and finished with 4 assists.

Toronto shot 45.2% (33-of-73) from the field, 37.1% (13-of-35) from three, and 82.4% (14-of-17) at the line, with 22 assists and 17 turnovers. The Tempo outrebounded Minnesota 36-31, the first time this season they have won the rebounding battle.

Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was asked about the second quarter.

"It came down to turnovers. We had six turnovers in the first five minutes of the second quarter, and Marina had three of them that led directly to easy baskets. That completely shifted the momentum," Brondello said. "Minnesota came out much more physical, and we didn't handle it well. We addressed that at halftime because it really was an even game if we had simply taken care of the basketball."

Conde was asked what was working for her offensively.

"I think my mentality is the same every game. I'm just trying to help the team however I can," Conde said. "I'm trying to be in the right spots. If I'm open, I want to shoot with confidence. I'm trying to read the gaps in the defense and make the right decisions. I did have four turnovers, so that's obviously not great."

Toronto fell to 10-17 and has lost four in a row and eight of nine. The Tempo went 5-4 in May, 4-6 in June, and 1-7 in July.

The teams meet again Thursday in Toronto. The Tempo then open a five-game road trip against the Golden State Valkyries on Aug. 2 and Aug. 4, the Portland Fire on Aug. 6, the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 10, and the Dallas Wings on Aug. 12.