WNBA scores: Natasha Howard leads Lynx past Wings

Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard prepares for a free throw during the second half of a WNBA basketball game vs the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

ARLINGTON, Texas— Natasha Howard scored 26 points, including the tiebreaking basket with 51 seconds left, Courtney Williams added 21 points and the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Dallas Wings 90-86 on Thursday night.

Howard scored an uncontested layup on a pick-and-roll with rookie Olivia Miles, who had 15 points and six assists for the Lynx (2-1), that made it 87-85. The Lynx secured the win with Kayla McBride making three of four free throws in the last 17.1 seconds. She finished with 11 points, including going 9 of 11 from the foul line.

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Nia Coffey added 13 points for Minnesota and matched McBride with eight rebounds. Williams was 9 of 10 from the floor as the Lynx shot 60%.

Paige Bueckers scored 27 points for the Wings (1-2), going 10 of 11 from the foul line and had eight assists. Maddy Siegrist scored 17 first-half points and Odyssey Sims added 11. Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall draft pick, came off the bench to score eight points in her second WNBA game.

McBride made a pair of free throws midway through the third quarter to give the Lynx a 55-54 lead, their first since the opening minutes.

Sims hit a running 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired in the third quarter to put Dallas up 70-68.

Siegrist had 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half when the Wings took a 48-40 lead. They led by as many as 12 before Minnesota used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to close within a basket. Williams had 13 points and Miles 11 for the Lynx.

Minnesota lost rookie free agent Emma Cechova, who averaged 11 points in two games off the bench, to a non-contact knee injury at 2:31 of the third quarter.