FINAL · GAME DETAIL
Minnesota Lynx
vs Washington Mystics
One game ID connects the final, quarter flow, leading player lines and season position.
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIN | 19 | 21 | 10 | 28 | 78 |
| WSH | 24 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 76 |
GAME FLOW · NUMBERS
Reconstructing the game from the quarter line
Minnesota Lynx finished ahead of Washington Mystics, 78-76, a 2-point margin. The first-half totals were 40 for Minnesota Lynx and 40 for Washington Mystics; the third- and fourth-quarter totals were 38 and 36. The combined final of 154 matches the sum of the two quarter lines across 4 periods, including any overtime.
1Q: MIN 19-WSH 24, 19-24 cumulative; 2Q: MIN 21-WSH 16, 40-40 cumulative; 3Q: MIN 10-WSH 18, 50-58 cumulative; 4Q: MIN 28-WSH 18, 78-76 cumulative. Reading the period score beside the running score identifies exactly when the gap expanded or contracted. Minnesota Lynx's highest-scoring period was 28 points, while Washington Mystics's high was 24; the final separation was 2 points.
The first-half margin was 0 points, compared with 2 across the third and fourth quarters. Splitting the final this way preserves two distinct parts of the game instead of reducing it to one score. The quarter table above provides the same sequence as team scores and cumulative totals for direct comparison.
BOX SCORE READ
Team indicators and leading player lines
Minnesota Lynx recorded 38% from the field, 27% from three and 73% at the line; Washington Mystics posted 43%, 31% and 70%. Rebounds finished 37-40, assists 19-17 and turnovers 13-17. The same team box reports a 34-38 split in paint points and 7-6 in offensive rebounds.
Natasha Howard led Minnesota Lynx with 21 points. Natasha Howard supplied a team-high 15 rebounds, while Olivia Miles led with 5 assists. For Washington Mystics, the corresponding leaders were Sonia Citron with 28 points, Shakira Austin with 16 rebounds and Sonia Citron with 3 assists.
The player tables contain minutes, points, rebounds, assists, shooting and on-court differential for 9 recorded participants from MIN and 10 from WSH. Reading those rows beside the team totals connects the final score, shooting efficiency and possession outcomes to specific player production without substituting an unsupported judgment for the box score.
SEASON CONTEXT · 2026
Locating both teams through standings and head-to-head results
In the current table, Minnesota Lynx are 24-6, No. 1 overall and No. 1 in the West, 0 games behind the conference leader. Washington Mystics are 16-12, No. 7 overall and No. 3 in the East, 2.5 games back. Their cumulative point differentials are +282 and -47.
Counting only completed standard-season results through this game, Minnesota Lynx stood at 14-4 across 18 games and Washington Mystics at 8-8 across 16. Their most recent sets of up to five finals were 4-1 and 3-2. Scoring in those short windows was 444-392 for the away team and 398-407 for the home team, keeping recent form separate from the full-season record.
Across 2 completed meetings in the same season, Minnesota Lynx recorded 1 wins and Washington Mystics 1; aggregate scoring was 157-160. The teams are separated by 6 places in the overall order and by 8 cumulative wins. Standings, the recent five-game window and the season series cover different sample sizes, so they are presented as three numerical views of the same matchup rather than collapsed into one rating.
Team box score
| Stat | MIN | WSH |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | 38 | 43 |
| 3P% | 27 | 31 |
| FT% | 73 | 70 |
| Rebounds | 37 | 40 |
| Assists | 19 | 17 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 17 |
| Paint points | 34 | 38 |
Minnesota Lynx
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayla McBride * | 38 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 7-18 | 10 |
| Natasha Howard * | 36 | 21 | 15 | 3 | 7-13 | 7 |
| Olivia Miles * | 35 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 6-18 | 6 |
| Courtney Williams * | 25 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2-9 | -3 |
| Nia Coffey * | 23 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2-6 | -3 |
| Anastasiia Olairi Kosu | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1-2 | -9 |
| Maya Caldwell | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2-4 | 2 |
| Antonia Delaere | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | -9 |
| Teaira McCowan | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 9 |
| Napheesa Collier | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
| Dorka Juhasz | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
| Emma Cechova | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
Washington Mystics
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonia Citron * | 34 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 9-14 | -5 |
| Kiki Iriafen * | 30 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 5-10 | -11 |
| Shakira Austin * | 26 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 5-15 | -3 |
| Georgia Amoore * | 26 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1-4 | -3 |
| Michaela Onyenwere * | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1-5 | 8 |
| Cotie McMahon | 29 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3-8 | -10 |
| Lauren Betts | 16 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2-3 | -2 |
| Angela Dugalic | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 12 |
| Lucy Olsen | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0-2 | 7 |
| Alicia Florez | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | -3 |
| Rori Harmon | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
| Cassandre Prosper | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |