The Guru’s WNBA Roundup: Minnesota Goes to 8-0 While Indiana and Seattle Stop Three-Game Slides

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Minnesota (8-0) continued winning Tuesday night at the expense of Phoenix (5-3) going up one overall on idle New York (7-0) with an 88-65 victory at home in the Target Center before a crowd of 8,772 in Minneapolis while Seattle (4-4) and Indiana (3-4) each snapped three-game skids.

Indiana, at home in Gainbridge Fieldhouse before a crowd of 16,013 in Indianapolis, evened things without Caitlin Clark from last week’s loss to Washington (3-5) in Baltimore, beating the Mystics 85-76.

Clark missed the third of a predicted minimum four games sidelined with a left quad strain injury but rode Kelsey Mitchell’s 23 points and 14 from Lexie Hull, all hers in the second half.

The Fever were also missing Sophie Cunningham, who left early in last Friday’s loss to Connecticut, but did have former Arizona star Aari McDonald, signed recently to a team-shortage contract.

After struggling in the first half but leading 38-34 at the break, Indiana erupted with five 3-pointers for a 31-21 third quarter and a 69-55 lead but the Mystics rallied with a 12-0 start to the final period moving within a basket on Brittney Sykes’ layup.

The Fever then countered with next seven and stayed in front the rest of the way also getting help in the win with 10 points from Aliyah Boston.

This was also night two of the three-week in-season tourney Comissioner’s Cup in which Indiana went up 1-0 while Washington lost its first of the 12conference games.

“It felt really good,” said Stephanie White who left the Connecticut Sun and rejoined the Fever who she led to a WNBA title previously. “The way we did it, too. It was probably one of the most consistent we played over four quarters.

“Aari was terrific, and she set the tone at the defensive end, which was important for us.”

Three-pointers were the difference, the home team with 11 while Washington was just 1-10.

The Mystics’ rookies, both taken in the first round, continued to perform: Southern Cal grad Kiki Iriafen, who went fourth overall, matched teammate and veteran Sykes’ 20 points while Notre Dame grad Sonia Citron scored 13. Shakira Austin added 10 points.

Iriafen, with a season best and averages of 13.9 points and 10.1 boards, and Citron are the first rookies since former South Carolina sensation A’ja Wilson on Las Vegas, to reach double digits in their first eight games and Iriafen the sixth player and first since Tina Charles (2010) to average a double double.

The duo is 2-3 in rookie scoring behind overall top draft pick Paige Bueckers on Dallas.

“My coaches and my teammates just give me a lot of confidence and tell me to exploit my matchups when I can,” Iriafen said. “Just being smart with it. I think I was too lax when we played New York (Friday), so I was just more intentional when I got the ball.”

Former Villanova and Iowa star Lucy Olsen was not used in this game in which before the opening tip she and Clark, whom she succeeded with the Hawkeyes, gave each other a warm hug.

Washington goes home Thursday to host New York at 7:30 p.m. (on Amazon Prime) for the second time in less than a week while Indiana Saturday night on CBS is at Chicago, the game moved from the Wintrust Center to the NBA United Center in what was to be the second Clark/Angel Reese meeting since opening day last month in Indiana..

Seattle Tops Dallas

The Storm at home in Climate Pledge Arena before a crowd of 10,252 came out of their slide rallying from a 61-56 deficit with 8:03 left in the game and

beating Dallas 83-77 to even their Commissioner’s Cup record while saddling the Wings (1-7) with a loss in their first Cup appearance.

Seattle’s Gabby Williams scored 18 points while free agent signee Nneka Ogwumike scored 10 of 14 points after halftime.

Trailing since a 25-24 lead in the middle of the second quarter, Seattle during its 16-2 run in the third period went up by a point at 50-49 with 2:47 left in the period on Erica Wheeler’s three-point play.

In the fourth, Dallas, playing without Paige Bueckers sidelined the second of a two-game concussion protocol, missed eight straight shots over five minutes enabling the Storm to make an 18-4 run concluding with Skylar Diggins making a layup and free throw off a flagrant 1 foul and on the ensuing possession, Ezi Magbegor’s shot.

“We really relied on getting stops, securing the rebounding, Ogwumike said of the comeback. That’s been a point of emphasis for us.”

The Storm showed depth with 30 bench points while Wheeler had all 11 of her points in the second half to go with seven assists.

Going into the game Diggins had the third active streak with 22 game scoring 10+ points but it ended one short at nine.

Dallas, which led 38-30 at the half when Liusa Geiselsoder popped a 3-pointer, got 22 points from DiJonai Carrington, while Myisha Hines-Allen had 16 points and 12 boards.

Former Villanova star Maddy Siegriest, third overall in the 2023 draft to the Wings, starting in place of Bueckers scored 11, but Arike Ogwumbowale was just 4-of-15 from the field held to eight points.

Seattle is at Phoenix Saturday night at 10 p.m. while Dallas host Los Angeles 9:30 p.m. on Friday night, the second of a streaming doubleheader that opens Atlanta at Connecticut at 7:30 p.m. both on ION and the WNBA’s League Pass.

Minnesota Handles Phoenix

Napheesa Collier had 18 points and 11 boards while former Marquette star Natisha Hiedeman scored 18 as the Lynx also went 2-0 in the Comissioner’s Cup and Phoenix dropped to1-1.

Unbeaten New York will get a chance to pull even with the Lynx Thursday in the 7:30 p.m. opener at Washington on Amazon Prime before Phoenix hosts the expansion Golden State Valkyries on the same channel.

This is Minnesota’s fourth 8-0 start equalling the rest of all the league teams combined.

The Mercury led 23-14 late in the first period before the Lynx lowered the boom with a 49-23 run deep into the third quarter.

The winners made 12 from deep, three each from Kayla McBride, Alanna Smith and Karlie Samuelson.

Smith and McBride each each scored 13 while McBride also dished seven assists and while the Lynx overall had a season-best 29 assists on 34 made shots, they also committed 23 turnovers.

Phoenix got 16 points from Lexi Held, while Satou Sabally had 15 points and eight boards, and Kitja Laksa scored 10 points.

Minnesota is off until visiting Dallas Sunday.