The Minnesota Lynx secured a convincing 100-72 victory over the Toronto Tempo in Minneapolis, led by Maya Caldwell’s impressive 16-point performance. The Tempo, an expansion team, suffered their largest defeat, dropping to a 3-3 record after winning their previous two games by narrow margins.
Courtney Williams contributed 15 points, Olivia Miles scored 14 in her rookie debut, while Natasha Howard and Kayla McBride added 13 each for the Lynx, who improved to 3-2. Toronto’s Kia Nurse led her team with 23 points off the bench, supported by rookie Kiki Rice with 11 points. Notably, key scorers Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey, who typically average over 45 points combined per game, were limited to just nine points due to early foul trouble in the first quarter.
The Lynx dominated the game with a 55% shooting accuracy, a significant 46-25 rebounding advantage, and a 42-24 lead in points scored in the paint. They also capitalized on outside shooting, making 10 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc. In contrast, the Tempo struggled with a 34% shooting accuracy, despite making 12 3-pointers, shooting only 29% from long range.
Minnesota took control early with a 27-14 lead after the first quarter, maintaining their dominance to lead 53-32 at halftime and extending it to 76-50 by the end of the third quarter.
Looking ahead, the Tempo will face off against fellow expansion team Portland, while the Lynx will take on Chicago in their upcoming games.