Lynx Drop Road Game to Streaking Mystics

Mandatory Credit: Michael Zamora/The Register via USA TODAY NETWORK

After putting together an impressive performance against one of the top teams in the WNBA in a blowout victory over the Connecticut Sun on Friday night at Target Center, the Minnesota Lynx faced yet another tough test on the road Sunday afternoon.

Entering the game on a two-game winning streak, the Lynx hit the road for the first game of a two-game road trip to take on the Washington Mystics, who came into the contest tied with the Sun atop the league standings.

Unlike its game in Minneapolis on Friday, Minnesota wasn’t able to come out on top against a stellar Washington squad, falling to the Mystics 101-78 on Sunday at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington D.C.

The win pushed Washington to 17-7 overall on the year to remain at the top of the standings, having now won three games in a row. With the loss, Minnesota dropped back down to the .500 mark, falling to 12-12 on the year.

In the opening 10 minutes of the game, both teams put together a back-and-forth quarter that ended with Washington heating up as the frame progressed.

Minnesota jumped out to an early 9-0 run to lead by as much as five in the quarter, but the Mystics shot a red-hot 71.4 percent in the first to outscore the Lynx 23-10 in the final five minutes and grab a take a 27-19 lead into the second quarter.

Prior to halftime, both teams continued their strong performances on the offensive end of the floor.

Washington, which led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and shot 58.1 percent from the field while allowing Minnesota to finish at 51.6 percent, carried a 51-41 lead into the break.

In the third quarter, the Lynx attempted to battle their way back into the game, cutting the lead down to as much as seven points, but a strong finish to the frame by the Mystics resulted in them holding a 72-60 advantage going into the final quarter.

To round out the game, Washington continued to hold off any late-game comeback by Minnesota to coast to the victory on its home floor.

Odyssey Sims led the way for the Lynx in the game, finishing with a team-best 20 points, eight assists and four rebounds. She also had one steal, which marked the 200th steal of her career.

Behind Sims, Temi Fagbenle had 12 points off the bench, Napheesa Collier had 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals and Stephanie Talbot added eight points and three steals after getting the start replacing the injured Damiris Dantas (calf).

Sylvia Fowles, who dealt with foul trouble for a majority of the game, finished with just three points and five rebounds in a little over 23 minutes for the Lynx, which finished shooting 47.7 percent from the field as a team.

The trio of Emma Meesseman, Elena Delle Donne and Aerial Powers put together an impressive performance to highlight the afternoon for Washington, which finished the game shooting 54.8 percent and held a 32-22 rebounding advantage.

Meesseman tallied a game-high 25 points off the bench, with Delle Donne grabbing a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds and Powers adding 20 points and five rebounds.

The Lynx will remain on the road when it travels to face off against the New York Liberty at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at Westchester County Center. The game will be aired on Fox Sports Go, WNBA League Pass and 106.1 FM.

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