Minnesota closed out a perfect 3-0 preseason Friday night at Target Center, beating the Toronto Tempo 73-66 in a game that was tighter than the record suggests. The Lynx won it with their bench. Their starters gave Cheryl Reeve plenty to think about heading into May 8.
The starters struggled. The bench won it.
Minnesota's starting five — McBride, Miles, Williams, Coffey, and Howard — was a mess. Natasha Howard went 0-for-5 for zero points in 13 minutes. Courtney Williams matched her, going 0-for-5 with zero points in 17 minutes, though she did dish 6 assists. Those two combined for zero points on zero-for-ten shooting. Reeve wasn't subtle about it postgame: "I thought Toronto played harder than our first group. That's really disappointing."
What kept Minnesota in it — and eventually pulled them through — was the second unit. Emma Cechova led all scorers with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, added 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, and posted a team-best +13 in 24 minutes. Anastasiia Kosu went 3-of-4 for 10 points with 5 rebounds and a +12. Eliska Hamzova chipped in 7 points including a go-ahead three with three minutes left that broke a 66-64 Toronto lead. The Lynx bench closed the game on a 9-0 run. Minnesota's reserves didn't just save the night — they owned the fourth quarter.
Olivia Miles and Kiki Rice — the matchup everyone wanted
Miles started and finished with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a +1 in 28 minutes. The efficiency wasn't there but the moments were — including a jumper late in the fourth that pushed Minnesota's lead back to three after the Lynx had let Toronto creep back into it. For a rookie in her first home game with a crowd getting its first real look at her, that's the kind of shot you want to see.
Rice came off the bench for Toronto and posted 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes with zero turnovers. The +/- of -14 stings, but that number reflects Minnesota's closing run more than Rice's individual performance. She was active, composed, and didn't force anything. The Tempo's No. 6 pick looked like she belongs.
Toronto shorthanded again, competitive again
The Tempo played with six unavailable players including Marina Mabrey, and yet led 66-64 with under three minutes to play. Elizabeth Balogun led Toronto with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench. Julie Allemand and Laura Juskaite each played 20+ minutes and kept the offense moving. Brittney Sykes made her first preseason appearance and contributed 8 points in 17 minutes. The foul trouble was a problem — Toronto committed 31 fouls to Minnesota's 17, sending the Lynx to the line 37 times — but the competitiveness wasn't.
Toronto shot just 35 percent from the field and 25 percent from three. The offensive efficiency isn't there yet. The defensive effort and the willingness to compete on the road against an established team absolutely is.
Three things that carry forward
Minnesota's starting lineup is a real concern. Howard and Williams combined to go 0-for-10 with zero points. Collier is out until at least early June. Juhász is also sidelined. If this is the group opening May 9 against Atlanta, Reeve needs answers fast — and she has seven days to find them.
Cechova and Kosu are making roster decisions very easy. Two relative unknowns just went +13 and +12 in a competitive preseason game while the veterans struggled. Both are on the roster. Both earned every minute.
Toronto's ceiling is higher than their record. They're 0-2 in preseason play and they've led in the fourth quarter of both games. Once Mabrey and their full rotation are available, this expansion team is going to take people by surprise on May 8.
Six days until it counts.