Natasha Howard powered the Minnesota Lynx to a 107-74 win over the Portland Fire on Monday, while Nia Coffey delivered a standout all-around performance with 15 points, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Target Center looked like it had barely started heating up when Nia Coffey began piling on impact plays, and the Minnesota Lynx never let the Portland Fire breathe.
Minnesota rolled to a 107-74 victory on Monday with seven players scoring in double figures. Natasha Howard led the way with 18 points, and the Lynx converted chaos into control, scoring 26 points off 22 Portland turnovers.
Coffey. in what amounted to a homecoming at her best all-around level yet in her debut season with the Lynx. finished with 15 points. five rebounds. three steals and three blocks. Her night carried a sharp offensive edge too: she went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. sinking all of her 3-point tries in a 35-point first quarter that matched the team’s season high in any frame.
By the middle of the third quarter, the game was already drifting away from Portland. The Lynx held a 27-point lead, part of a bigger statement rebound after their loss at Las Vegas on Saturday.
Minnesota improved to 5-1 in the round-robin schedule for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. The picture in the Western Conference was still tight elsewhere: Las Vegas only needed to beat Dallas on Monday or Phoenix on Wednesday to secure the spot. In the Eastern Conference, New York clinched the berth on June 14, with the championship game set for June 30.
The night also carried a personal edge for Portland. The Fire’s first trip to Minnesota for the WNBA’s latest expansion franchise brought a reunion at Target Center for forward Bridget Carleton. Carleton. the first pick in the expansion draft who spent the previous seven seasons with the Lynx. was honored during a break in the action along with Fire assistant coach Sylvia Fowles. who won two championships and the 2017 WNBA MVP award in Minnesota.
But the celebration didn’t translate into production on the floor. Carleton returned with a difficult outing, missing eight of nine shots from the field and finishing with three points and a minus-31 rating in 26 minutes as the Fire fell to 7-9.
Portland now turns to what comes next: the team hosts Seattle, while Minnesota plays at Los Angeles on Wednesday, the last night of scheduled Commissioner’s Cup games.
The way the Lynx spread scoring and cashed in on turnovers left little room for a comeback story—just a clear, team-first statement built from defense, pace, and precision from the opening quarter.
Minnesota Lynx Portland Fire Nia Coffey Natasha Howard WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Bridget Carleton Sylvia Fowles 107-74
107-74?? that’s like not even a game lol.
I only caught the highlights but 3 steals and 3 blocks for Nia Coffey is wild. Also 3-for-3 from three?? Target Center really is her home turf. Portland looked totally lost.
Wait so did the Portland Fire like… turn the ball over 22 times or is that points off turnovers thing? I’m confused. Either way minus-31 for Carleton sounds like she got benched but they still let her play 26 min, so idk.
Bridget Carleton reunion and then she misses 8 of 9 shots… kinda sad tbh. Minnesota “crushed” them but I keep seeing other teams fighting for the spot too, like Las Vegas needs to beat Dallas or Phoenix needs to win, so the schedule stuff is messy. I don’t even follow all the Commissioner’s Cup rules, just know 74 points seems low.