By: Jennifer Portee
5/15/2026
The Minnesota Lynx kept their early-season momentum rolling Thursday night, using big performances from Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams to defeat the Dallas Wings 90-86 in a game that carried a little extra meaning for Williams.
Howard had 26 points and made a layup with 51 seconds left, finishing a pick-and-roll with rookie Olivia Miles to put Minnesota up 87-85. Williams added 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, helping the Lynx improve to 2-1 while shooting 60 percent from the floor as a team.
The storyline was bigger than the box score for Williams, who was facing her former college coach now leading the Wings. After the game, she kept the moment real and lighthearted when asked about facing her former college coach.
“Yeah, T that man up! T em up! That’s my guy though. I love him!”
The quote matched the feel of a game that was competitive but still carried a little extra meaning. Williams played with confidence throughout and gave Minnesota consistent scoring.
Olivia Miles continued to look comfortable in Minnesota’s system, finishing with 15 points and six assists. Nia Coffey added 13 points and tied Kayla McBride for the team lead with eight rebounds, while McBride closed the door at the line, knocking down three of four free throws in the final 17.1 seconds. She finished with 11 points and went 9-of-11 at the free throw line.
For Dallas, Paige Bueckers led the way with 27 points and eight assists, going 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Maddy Siegrist gave the Wings a strong first half with 17 points before finishing with 17 overall, while Odyssey Sims added 11. Rookie Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall draft pick, scored eight points off the bench in just her second WNBA game.
Dallas had its moments, including a brief early lead in the third quarter, but Minnesota eventually settled in and showed its closing strength. McBride’s pair of free throws midway through the period gave the Lynx a 55-54 lead, their first since the opening minutes, and they never fully lost control from there.
The result was a strong early statement for Minnesota, but Williams’ postgame reaction may have been the most memorable part of the night a mix of respect, competitiveness, and familiarity that summed up the matchup perfectly.