Despite being without Napheesa Collier injury, the Minnesota Lynx have still been able to keep the train rolling after back-to-back close victories aided by the strong play of newcomer DiJonai Carrington. The Phee-less Lynx will face their biggest challenge yet without their captain as they look to take down the New York Liberty in a Sunday matinee matchup. The Liberty are coming in having won three in a row as the two champion hopefuls square off on ABC.

Both teams were playing with great pace early on as they tried to get some easy buckets with both teams’ best players inactive. Kayla McBride started off strong early on hitting a couple of threes while Natasha Cloud used her speed to get into the paint and finish around the rim.

Courtney Williams led the offensive charge for the Lynx as she scored or assisted on 20 of Minnesota’s 25 points in the first quarter. She got to her mid-range spot with ease and converted in a back and forth first quarter. Williams scored eight points and added five assists as the Lynx led 25-24 after the first.

After a smooth offensive start for both squads, they both hit rocky waters in the second as only 25 points total was scored between Minnesota and New York. The Liberty capitalized during the first half of the frame on the Lynx struggles as they got their lead up to six points but Maria Kliundikova created some big swing plays to keep the game close throughout the quarter.

Alanna Smith impressed defensively as well with a couple of blocks to stifle New York’s offense. Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride led the way with eight points each as Natasha Cloud’s 9 points gave New York a two point lead at halftime.

Turnovers plagued the Lynx early on in the quarter as the Liberty broke out an eight point lead early on. Minnesota used their physicality to stay in the game and keep it close. Kayla McBride and Natasha Cloud were going back and forth as the game remained close over much of the quarter. That is when the defensive switch flipped.

DiJonai Carrington helped wreak havoc defensively which resulted in a 14-0 Minnesota run over the last four minutes. Marine Johannes broke the streak with a three but Minnesota still maintained a nine point lead with 10 minutes to play.

It was a foul fest early in the quarter as the Liberty tried to regain momentum after the third quarter Lynx run. Minnesota continued their relentless defense as they looked like a pack of hawks off the ball forcing the Liberty into bad decisions and killing any hope for a comeback. Minnesota staved off every run down the stretch and took the win, 83-71.

With Napheesa Collier out, the Lynx used their pink hair power with a balanced attack to take down the New York Liberty. All of the members of this prestigious club – Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Dijonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman all had their shining moments to defeat the Liberty in this marquee matchup.

Courtney Williams started the party with a great first quarter and finished with 12 points and seven assists. Kayla McBride matched every assemblance of a run from New York with clutch buckets. Natisha Hiedeman helped push the pace and use her quickness to get to the rim and Dijonai Carrington picked up the defensive intensity and was huge in the third quarter run that ultimately was the difference in the game.

When you’re missing 23.5 points per game, it can be tough to replicate that output. The Lynx turned to their defense to make up the difference in this one. They forced the Liberty into 20 turnovers and scored 22 points off of those turnovers.

It seemed like whenever New York threw a pass that wasn’t perfectly on the money, Minnesota was there to intercept. Alanna Smith and Maria Kliundikova have PHD’s in being in the right place at the right time as they had four steals apiece and ruined the Liberty’s offensive flow whenever they tried to get back into the game.

The turning point in the game was the 14-0 run during the third quarter spurred by the Lynx defense. The intensity was dialed up as they ruined good offense and used those stops to fuel their offensive storm.

Minnesota will get nearly a week off before continuing the New York Liberty portion of their schedule as the second of three consecutive meetings is next Saturday, August 16. The game begins at 1:00 PM CT, airing nationally on CBS.