All-Star forward Napheesa Collier scored 32 points and grabbed nine rebounds in her return from injury, and the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 97-84 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday evening in Minneapolis.
Courtney Williams notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists for Minnesota (30-7), which won a home-and-home series against Indiana. Kayla McBride and Maria Kliundikova finished with 13 points apiece.
Collier, a five-time All-Star who entered the game averaging a WNBA-leading 23.5 points per game, had not played since Aug. 2 because of a sprained right ankle.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting to lead Indiana (19-18). Shey Peddy scored 16 points off the bench for the Fever, and Aliyah Boston finished with 14 points and seven boards.
The Fever played without injured playmakers Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.
The Lynx shot 57.1 percent (36 of 63) from the field and an identical 57.1 percent (12 of 21) from 3-point range. The Fever shot 47.7 percent (31 of 65) overall and 44.4 percent (8 of 18) from beyond the arc.
The Lynx outscored the Fever 20-18 in the fourth quarter to maintain a comfortable margin of victory.
Minnesota held on to a 77-66 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Bridget Carleton made a 3-pointer to increase the Lynx’s lead to 74-61 with 2:14 remaining.
Indiana responded with a 3-pointer from Peddy to cut the deficit to 74-64 with 1:48 left.
The long-distance barrage continued as DiJonai Carrington buried a 3-pointer to put Minnesota on top 77-64 with 35 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Boston finished the third-quarter scoring with a basket to bring the Fever within 11 points.
The Lynx led 52-45 at the half.
Minnesota outscored Indiana 27-15 in the second quarter to pull ahead at intermission.
Mitchell made a pair of free throws to give the Fever a 45-41 lead with 3:09 to go in the first half.
Kliundikova made a layup on the next possession. That started an 11-0 run that included a jump shot by Kliundikova, back-to-back baskets by Collier and Kliundikova, and a 3-pointer by Kliundikova.
–Field Level Media
