Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve liked the fact her team was trailing Chicago by two points with just under four minutes left to play in the preseason.
Her team needed it.
What ensued was a 10-1 run, led by the starting unit, that iced a 92-87 victory over the Sky.
“I think the group needed to get that,” Reeve said.
Playing without Alanna Smith (quad) and Kayla McBride (personal), the Lynx made a strong finish led by Napheesa Collier (26 points), Courtney Williams (17) and Jessica Shepard, who had 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in 23½ minutes of playing time. Bridget Carleton (11) also scored in double figures. Chicago got 14 points from both Rachel Banham and Kia Nurse.
“They needed to get that way about them, being hard to play against,” Reeve said. “That had to happen.”
That’s the good news for the Lynx, who split two preseason games with the Sky. The Lynx produced on offense, scoring 92, shooting 46%, getting to the line 19 times. But the defense is going to need some work before Friday’s opener.
The starting group started slowly in each half; Chicago scored 27 points in both the first and third quarters. The Lynx struggled to defend the three-pointer (Chicago went 12-for-28). Reeve said at this point the offense is ahead of the defense. The Lynx have less than a week to get ready to play at Dallas on Friday.
