Minnesota Lynx women took 85-81 victory over Portland Women in WNBA action on Thursday night. The result keeps the visitors atop the standings while Portland remain in fifth place after 40 matches. Things came to a head in the final quarter when Minnesota pulled away from what had been a close contest.
The Lynx built their biggest lead of 29 points during the game, showing they could control the tempo when needed. Portland fought back with energy, but could not find a way back into it when the pressure was on. The visitors felt the pressure in the closing moments but held firm to secure the win.
Minnesota shot 30 field goals from 65 attempts while Portland managed 32 from 71. The home side relied more on three-point shooting with eight successful attempts compared to six for the visitors. Portland also grabbed more rebounds with 39 to Minnesota's 35, but their extra possessions did not translate into points.
The standings tell the story of two very different seasons. Minnesota sit first with 31 wins and only nine defeats. Portland have won 16 games and lost 24, sitting four places below their opponents in the table.
Portland arrive having won two of their last five games, including a 100-93 victory over Seattle Storm. Minnesota have been more consistent, winning four of their past five outings with a loss to Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday evening.
The result extends Minnesota's lead at the top of the standings and puts further pressure on Portland to improve their form. The visitors now hold the tie in their own hands for playoff positioning with nine games remaining in the regular season.