Minnesota Lynx fall to Chicago Sky for second loss of road trip

CHICAGO - You could hear them before you saw them.

Plastic wrap crinkled and ice bags rustled as Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride walked into the media room at Wintrust Arena after falling to the Sky 87-81 on Saturday afternoon. Ice bags were strapped to both of Collier’s knees, another on McBride’s left. Both sat slowly, gingerly.

If the Lynx looked a little tired, it’s probably because they were.

They had faced another tight turnaround — their 11th game in 21 days — and a bruising Chicago frontcourt. Following a loss to the Mercury on Wednesday, it marked their second loss on a four-game road trip. It’s also their first time dropping two of three all season.

“We didn’t play, just didn’t bring the effort that we needed to today,” said Collier, who acknowledged the difficult schedule but pointed out “that’s not the narrative that we have for why we lost it all. We have to be better.”

Minnesota (18-4) gave up a season-high 57 first-half points. The fatigue showed on the boards, where the Lynx allowed 45 rebounds, equaling their season high. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso combined for 26 of those.

“They were getting a lot of points in the paint,” said Collier, who finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals. Asked what led to that, she offered these words: “Rebounding and second-chance points.”

After trailing by as many as 15, the Lynx trimmed the deficit to two with a 13-2 run that began in the third quarter. But just as they seemed poised to take control, they unraveled.

Courtney Williams pulled them within two points with 6½ minutes remaining. Cardoso answered with two free throws. Then came a tipping point: Reeve, already frustrated by a litany of calls and non-calls, erupted after a collision involving Cardoso and Alanna Smith.

Reeve was hit with a technical. The Sky’s Rachel Banham made the free throw, and Michaela Onyenwere’s jumper off the ensuing jump ball extended Chicago’s lead to 80-73.

The Lynx didn’t get closer than three again.

Sky guard Ariel Atkins, who scored a game-high 27 points, hit a clutch jumper to keep the Lynx at bay. Reese finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds — her eighth straight double-double — and Cardoso added a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 17 points.

McBride and Williams combined for 30 points, but they also combined for 34% shooting. Even Collier’s franchise-record free-throw streak came crashing down. Her third-quarter miss was her first after 54 makes.

It was that kind of afternoon — a frustrating game amid a frustrating road trip amid a frustratingly crowded stretch of games.

“We’re in the midst of one of the most illogical schedules in my 25 years of doing this,” Reeve said before the game. “We’re not done. We’re still in it.”

Since July 5, Minnesota has played two sets of back-to-backs. This is not unique to the Lynx. The WNBA expanded to 44 games this season without extending the calendar, causing teams across the league to feel the strain.

“I think a lot of players have been really vocal about that, because of how crazy the schedule is,” Collier told the Star Tribune before the game. “I think it’s in the best interest of the players and the league not to have games like this. The product goes down. Injuries go up.”

Collier, vice president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA), said scheduling is something she and the association are “definitely” talking about in ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.

BOXSCORE: Sky 87, Lynx 81

WNBA standings

A meeting among league officials, WNBPA staffers, player reps and other advisors is expected during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, where Collier will serve as a captain for the game next Saturday.

“We’re getting more teams, so with that comes more games,” Collier said. “But in my opinion, we don’t need to be playing teams four and five times. You can adjust the number of teams you’re playing in order to maintain the overall number of games we’re playing.”

But, for now, there’s no slowing down Minnesota’s schedule. The Lynx will face the Sky again at 7 p.m. Monday at Wintrust Arena.