Kayla McBride keeps stacking 20-point games like they’re nothing. Saturday night, she hit one more milestone that actually means something.
McBride dropped 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including four 3-pointers, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Portland Fire 101-93 for their fifth straight win. That performance pushed her career total to 5,846 points, good for 20th on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. She passed Becky Hammon, who finished with 5,841. Hammon now coaches the Las Vegas Aces, so you know that one stings a little extra.
The moment came with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter. McBride hit a 3-pointer that made it 86-76, and the Lynx never looked back. She’s scored at least 20 points in six straight games now, according to the Associated Press. That’s not a hot streak anymore. That’s a full-blown heater.
Minnesota led basically the whole way. Olivia Miles knocked down an early 3 to put the Lynx up 7-4, and they held control from there. Portland made a run in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 53-50 on a Bridget Carleton triple. But Minnesota answered with back-to-back 3s from Nia Coffey and McBride, and that was pretty much that.
Natasha Howard added 16 points. Miles finished with 14 points and 10 assists. Courtney Williams chipped in 15, and Dorka Juhasz gave them 12 off the bench. It was one of those team wins where everybody had a hand in it.
Carleton led Portland with 22 points. Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker each scored 21, but it wasn’t enough to slow down the league’s best team.
The win capped a perfect four-game homestand for Minnesota, which now sits at 20-6 — the best record in the WNBA. They’ve won 13 of 14 games against Western Conference opponents this season. That’s absurd.
The Lynx head to Seattle on Monday to face the Storm, who are 6-21 and just 1-12 against the West. Seattle did beat the Sparks 82-64 last time out, thanks to 23 points from rookie Flau’jae Johnson. But Minnesota already handled them 88-68 on June 6, behind 27 from Howard. The Lynx have a six-game win streak in their sights, and right now, nobody in the conference looks ready to stop them.
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