Bridget

Carleton

McBride returned to the Lynx lineup after sitting out Monday’s win over Dallas. Minnesota was without one of its rotation regulars, as DiJonai Carrington was out due to a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, the starters struggled to get much going on either end of the floor. Alanna Smith (13/4/2 with one three-pointer) and Bridget Carleton (9/3/1/1 with three three-pointers) were the only starters to shoot over 50 percent from the field, and the 97 points were the most Minnesota has allowed in a game this season. However, there should not be too much concern, as the Lynx have already locked in the top seed for the playoffs.

Carleton led Minnesota in scoring on Thursday while also finishing with the most made three-pointers on the team. The contributions from beyond the arc led the veteran forward to set a new season-high in points, which mostly came in a strong opening quarter. Carleton’s shooting will be important for Minnesota as the postseason nears. If she can remain effective from deep, it’ll make a fully healthy Lynx roster even more difficult to handle on the offensive end than they already are.

On a night when frontcourt starters Bridget Carleton (3/1/1/0/1) and Alanna Smith (5/9/2/3/2) combined to shoot 3-of-9 from the field, Kliundikova gave the Lynx solid offensive contributions off the bench. The 11 points scored were the most in a game for the 6-foot-4 center since June 21, when she dropped a season-high 12 on the Sparks. Also stepping up for Minnesota was Jessica Shepard, who finished with six points, 10 rebounds and one assist. While Tuesday’s performance does not make Kliundikova a worthwhile target in fantasy leagues, Shepard is worth a look as long as Minnesota remains without the injured Napheesa Collier.

In two games played so far for the Lynx, Carrington’s two performances have looked similar. She attempted seven shots in both games and made five in the first and four in her second against the Mystics on Friday night. She also matched her defensive stats from her first Lynx game in Seattle with two steals and a block on Friday night. The difference against the Mystics was that Carrington took more threes than she did against the Storm, making two out of the four she attempted. In Carrington’s first outing on Tuesday, she played in just 18 minutes. But on Friday night, she played in 11 more minutes and had more time on the floor than starter Bridget Carlton.

The Mystics defense forced Williams into shots mostly in the mid-range, which is much more her kill zone than most other players across the league. She came off a lot of ball screens set by Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard so that she just had enough space to nail many of her signature looking shots. These are usually when she gets elevation on jumpers that are around between 15 and 17 feet from the basket. The only shot at the rim that Williams made or even attempted came on a leak out in transition coming off a steal from Bridget Carlton. Without typical target Napheesa Collier on the floor, Williams fed Alanna Smith for four of Williams’ five assists. Williams mainly found Smith on the roll but also found her for one of her four three-pointers.

Shepard received the starting nod on Tuesday as the Lynx were without Napheesa Collier, and she answered the call in Seattle. The Lynx forward recorded her fifth double-double of the season, and she’s had two in as many games. With Collier expected to miss at least two weeks, now would be a good time to roll the dice on Shepard for fantasy managers needing a forward for their lineups. Of the nine games in which she’s logged at least 20 minutes, Shepard has recorded a double-double in five of them. Also stepping up in Collier’s absence on Tuesday was Bridget Carleton, who hit four three-pointers and finished with 12 points, one rebound, one assist and one steal.

On a night when starters Bridget Carleton (five rebounds, two assists and one steal) and Alanna Smith (4/2/1/2/2) combined to shoot 2-of-11 from the field, Miller provided the Lynx with welcome production off the bench. Reaching double figures in scoring for the third time this season, Sunday’s effort was Miller’s best since Minnesota’s June 17 win over the Aces, a game in which she tallied 12 points. And she wasn’t focused solely on scoring, either, recording a complete stat line that included a season-high two blocked shots. With Karlie Samuelson (foot) done for the season, Minnesota will need more consistent production from Miller to supplement fellow reserve Natisha Hiedeman.

Collier was extremely efficient, even if she took the least shots she has since June 17, when the Lynx squared off against the Aces. Each of her eight made field goals was assisted as multiple teammates in Kayla McBride and Bridget Carlton found Collier slipping to the basket and set her up with pocket passes in space during the first half. In the second half, Collier was able to seal off and elevate over smaller defenders to get her points.

Generally speaking, the Lynx don’t call on Carleton to be one of their top offensive options. However, as was the case in Friday’s overtime victory, she can step up. After totaling 20 points in her four prior appearances, Carleton made all five of her shot attempts against the Dream. Included in that line were a season-high four three-pointers after shooting 2-of-7 from deep in her last three. While the inconsistent scoring makes her challenging to rely on in standard fantasy leagues, Carleton has value in deeper formats due to the three-point potential.

For the second time this season, Carleton reached double figures in scoring. In Sunday’s victory, she shot over 50 percent from the field, something the veteran forward had not done in any of Minnesota’s first eight games. The combination of Carleton’s improved production and the Lynx bench squandering most of the team’s first-half lead led to her seeing more playing time, finishing with 34 minutes. Minnesota returns to action on Wednesday when it visits Seattle in another Commissioner’s Cup matchup.