The Minnesota Lynx will put their seven-game winning streak on the line Thursday, but not much else when they meet the Los Angeles Sparks in the final regular-season game for both teams in Minneapolis.
The Lynx (30-9) are locked into the No. 2 seed when the WNBA playoffs begin Sunday and might get more out of resting star forward Napheesa Collier on Thursday. Resting anybody else might be a bit tricky. On Wednesday evening, the Lynx announced that Collier as well as guard Kayla McBride will rest, while forward Dorka Juhasz is questionable because of a right foot injury.
In a 78-76 road victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, Collier scored a team-high 25 points as the Lynx built their second seven-game win streak of the season and have come out on top in 14 of their last 15 games. They are 13-1 since returning from the Olympic break.
Collier is averaging 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds this season with 18 double-doubles in 34 games played.
McBride added 14 points against the Sun, while Bridget Carleton added 13, including the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds. Minnesota won after blowing a 12-point lead in the third quarter.
The Sparks (7-32) have been the complete opposite of the Lynx to close out the regular season. They are on an eight-game losing streak and are 1-14 since the Olympic break to lock up last place.
One bright side has been the play of Dearica Hamby, who is averaging 17.2 points with 9.3 rebounds. It has been the best season of the three-time All-Star’s career, and she even added a bronze medal in the 3×3 competition at the Paris Olympics.
