Minnesota Lynx Defeat Las Vegas Aces, Extend Lead in Race for Playoffs

On Saturday, the Minnesota Lynx beat the Las Vegas Aces 98-87, improving to a league-best 26-7 record. The Lynx built a four-point halftime lead and expanded it to double figures in the third quarter, thanks to a sequence in which reserve Dorka Juhász hit a three-pointer after a pass from Courtney Williams, followed by another three from Juhász that pushed the score to 66-55. Although Las Vegas responded with a 7-0 run, Minnesota reclaimed the cushion through a seven-point burst by Napheesa Collier. A flagrant foul on Kayla McBride in the fourth quarter led to free throws that helped the Lynx stretch the lead to 85-72, and Olivia Miles added 10 points in the final period to seal the victory.

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Olivia Miles led Minnesota with 26 points, including a half-court buzzer-beater early in the game. Napheesa Collier contributed 22 points, while Natasha Howard added 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists. For the Aces, Jackie Young scored a team-high 23 points, and A’ja Wilson posted 16 points with eight rebounds.

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Following the win, the Lynx posted on social media that they had clinched a playoff berth. The victory moved them to the top of the standings, creating several scenarios in which they could secure a postseason spot, but the exact qualification depended on remaining tiebreakers.

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The league later issued a correction, stating that the Lynx had not officially clinched a playoff spot despite the win. The WNBA explained that while the Lynx’s record makes a berth likely, certain tiebreaker outcomes could still affect final seeding, preventing an outright clinch at that moment.

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Minnesota’s strong performance keeps them in a favorable position as the regular season concludes. The team will aim to maintain its winning momentum while awaiting the resolution of the remaining tiebreaker scenarios that will determine the final playoff field.

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