The Lynx dominate Atlanta 92-79 thanks to a near-perfect shooting game from Kayla McBride

Things start to get interesting as the WNBA season begins.

Sunday in Atlanta, the Lynx resumed a close game with a monster third quarter. Kayla McBride played perhaps the best game of her career, as close to a perfect outing as you could see.

And the Lynx beat the Dream 92-79. The win gave the Lynx a 4-1 record and gave them back-to-back wins in a rare back-to-back situation.

First up, McBride: She scored 31 points, tying her career high and setting it with the Lynx. She made her first nine shots, her first six three-pointers, her first five free throws.

Next, the Lynx: With a lead of four after a rocky first half, the Lynx lost a third quarter 26-12 to the Dream at home, getting 10 points from Napheesa Collier and nine from McBride.

Collier finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Center Alanna Smith had another good night, scoring 17 points, hitting three of six threes, with four rebounds and five assists.

Perhaps the only negative point? The Lynx’s penchant at the start of the season to not maintain big leads. Up by 18 early in the fourth quarter, they allowed the Dream to cut the lead to single digits late in the fourth.

Ryne Howard (20 points) and Tina Charles (14) led the Dream (2-2).

McBride (12) and Smith (10) had 22 of the Lynx’s 28 points in the first quarter, which ended with the visitors up three despite Atlanta’s blistering 55.6 percent shooting.

Atlanta also stayed hot in the second quarter, making nine of 18 total shots and three of six three-pointers. And yet, the Lynx took a 51-47 halftime lead thanks to a 7-2 score in the second quarter.

The Lynx led despite Dream’s shooting because Minnesota held a 10-5 advantage on free throws made, a 6-3 advantage in points on turnovers and a 9-3 advantage at the halftime break. -time, McBride and Smith combining for 31 of them. 51 points.

In the third quarter, the Lynx – especially McBride – stayed hot, but suppressed the Dream.

The result: a 26-12 third quarter in which Collier scored 10, McBride scored nine – staying perfect for the day – and the Lynx held the Dream to 12 points on 4-for-16 shooting.

The Star Tribune did not send the author of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other materials.